TREASURY

Annuities

Kevin Brennan: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps he will take to improve competition in the market for bulk-buying of index linked annuities; and if he will make a statement.

Ruth Kelly: The operation of the market in bulk annuities is a commercial matter for the companies and pension schemes concerned.

BCCI

Harry Cohen: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what matters relating to BCCI and (a) the Bank of England and (b) his Department are outstanding; whether any of these matters could carry a liability to the public purse; and if he will make a statement.

Ruth Kelly: The Bank of England's position on the impending legal proceedings relating to BCCI, including an indication of costs already incurred, is set out on pages 35–37 and 91 of its 2003 annual report. A further update will be given in this year's annual report.
	The Treasury are not a party to these proceedings.
	The Treasury are considering a request unrelated to the legal proceedings against the Bank of England for the release of a BCCI-related document. This has no implications for the public purse.

Child Trust Funds

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what information will be provided to (a) children and (b) parents to show them how different investment scenarios will affect the return on their child trust funds, with particular regard to how (i) equities, (ii) cash and (iii) bonds are likely to perform.

Ruth Kelly: The Government want parents to engage actively with the child trust fund (CTF) and recognise that, for many parents, this may be their first investment product. We will provide resources to ensure parents are helped to make choices about their child's CTF, including an information pack, which will be issued alongside the CTF voucher and a dedicated CTF website.
	Information will include illustrations of investment returns, which will also be of interest to children as they grow older. Annual statements issued by providers to all children, and teaching and learning resources for use in the classroom, will also help children engage with their accounts and develop an understanding of how different investments could affect returns.

Child Trust Funds

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the implications for those on non-family benefits should they wish to make contributions to child trust funds.

Ruth Kelly: Money held in children's child trust fund (CTF) accounts will not affect family benefits claimed by a child's household.
	The Government will keep under review the treatment of capital in income-related benefits so that a sensible balance is struck between providing state support and not unfairly penalising those who have acted responsibly by saving. As a first step, the Government announced on 15 December 2003, Official Report, column 1344 that, from April 2006, the £3,000 threshold above which savings reduce eligibility to income support, jobseeker's allowance, housing benefit and council tax benefit will be increased to £6,000 in line with pension credit.
	The pension credit rules include protection against capital deprivation to deal with cases where the real reason behind disposing of savings is to access pension credit or increase the amount of pension credit payable.
	Whether payment into a CTF is treated as a deprivation of capital will depend on all the circumstances of the case. However, in most cases it is unlikely that modest contributions to a CTF would be treated as deprivation of capital.

Civil Servants (Disabilities)

Paul Goodman: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what progress has been made in meeting targets for the proportion of people with disabilities in senior posts in his Department.

Ruth Kelly: Statistical information about senior civil servants with disabilities is available on the civil service statistics website at http://www.civil-service.gov.uk/statistics/documents/pdf/disability-oct03.pdf.
	This information is also made available in the Library of the House. The latest statistics show staffing data as at 1 April 2003. The data shows that in my department there are no senior civil servants who have declared a disability. The Treasury target for the proportion of people in senior posts who have declared a disability is 3 per cent.

Civil Servants (Disabilities)

Tim Loughton: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many senior civil servants in his Department are disabled, expressed in (a) numbers and (b) as a percentage of whole-time equivalents.

Ruth Kelly: The information requested is available on the Civil Service Statistics website at: http://www. civil-service.gov.uk/statistics/documents/pdf/disability-oct03.pdf
	This information is also available in the Library of the House. The latest statistics show staffing data as at 1 April 2003. The data show that:
	in the Inland Revenue there are 10 senior civil servants with a disability, 3.1 per cent. of the total number of senior civil servants in that Department;
	in Customs and Excise there is a number less than five, which is 2.9 per cent. of the total number of senior civil servants; and in the Treasury there are no senior civil servants with a disability.

Equity Release Schemes

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what research his Department has undertaken to assess the benefits consumers perceive if financial products, with particular reference to equity release policies, are regulated by the Government.

Ruth Kelly: A regulatory impact assessment was published on 5 June 2003 that set out the costs and benefits of giving the Financial Services Authority (FSA) responsibility for regulating mortgages, including mortgage-based equity release schemes. This is available from the Treasury website: www.hm-treasury.gov.uk
	The purpose of the consultation paper, "Regulating Home Reversion Plans", is to arrive at a more in-depth analysis of the costs and benefits of the regulation of home reversion equity release plans. A draft regulatory impact assessment was included as Annex B to that document and we look forward to receiving views on that, as well as other aspects of the consultation.

European Investment Services Directive

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what discussions he has had with business organisations about the impact the European Investment Services Directive will have on their companies, with specific reference to the impact that the end of execution-only sales will have;
	(2)  what assessment he has made of how the European Investment Services Directive and the end of execution-only sales will affect (a) banks, (b) internet companies, (c) consumers and (d) the City of London.

Ruth Kelly: The Government were disappointed with the position adopted by the European Council of Ministers on the proposed new Investment Services Directive. We believe that in several areas the Council text misses opportunities to create a competitive, integrated European financial market and instead will harm competition.
	An area of particular concern for the Government during negotiations was the treatment of "execution-only" business in the Directive. We believe that it is important to ensure that execution-only business is not compromised by unnecessary regulation. Such business can provide low-cost access to share trading, for example, for a wider range of investors.
	During negotiations, the Government successfully ensured that execution-only business will be exempt from full "suitability testing" obligations.
	The Government will work hard with the Financial Services Authority to ensure that the provision relating to execution-only business is not implemented in the UK in a way which restricts normal marketing activity or direct offer promotions.
	The Investment Services Directive is one of the topics discussed when Treasury Ministers meet members of the financial services industry.
	At official level, the Treasury has frequent contact with representatives of financial services businesses, trade associations and consumer groups. Recent contacts have involved discussions of the potential impact of the Directive on activities including on execution-only sales of financial instruments.

Financial Education

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what tax incentives are available to companies providing free financial education for (a) children and (b) adults; and how these fit into the Government's policy to reduce financial illiteracy.

Ruth Kelly: There are no specific tax incentives in place aimed at encouraging companies to provide free financial education to children or adults.
	Improving basic financial literacy is a key element of the Government's strategy to reduce social and financial exclusion, while tackling over-indebtedness, and promoting saving. We are doing this across government to help people identify and meet their financial needs. Key initiatives include:
	the Saving Gateway, a transparent savings account with tailored financial advice and education;
	a framework for Personal, Social and Health Education (PSHE) that provides for personal finance education to be taught throughout Key Stages 1 to 4 of the school curriculum; and
	pension reforms that will help people make better informed choices about their retirement.
	We also work closely with the Financial Services Authority, which has rightly taken the lead in developing a national strategy for financial capability.

Islamic Home Finance Initiatives

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what regulation there is to protect Muslims from mis-selling of housing finance that complies with Sharia law.

Ruth Kelly: I understand that some Islamic home finance arrangements may already fall within the definition of a regulated mortgage contract under the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Regulated Activities) Order 2001 (SI/2001 No. 544) and would therefore be covered by the regime that the Financial Services Authority (FSA) will be implementing from 31 October 2004.
	However, as explained in paragraph 36 of the consultation document 'Regulating home reversion plans', we are seeking information on arrangements that are not reversion plans but which might nevertheless be caught by any legislative definition of a reversion plan if we decide to regulate home reversion plans. These might include alternative property financing arrangements that may be used by banks to provide housing finance which complies with Sharia law.

Gershon Review

Howard Flight: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether savings expected from implementation of the findings of the Gershon Review have been taken into account in the public expenditure totals for future years published in the pre-Budget report 2003.

Paul Boateng: Paragraph B27 of the pre-Budget report sets out the assumptions on which the fiscal projections, including public expenditure projections, are based.

National Statistics

Paul Burstow: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many deaths from (a) chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and (b) lung cancer were recorded in each year since 1996, broken down by age; and how many deaths per 100,000 population there were in each case.

Ruth Kelly: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	Letter from John Pullinger to Mr. Paul Burstow, dated 7 January 2004
	The National Statistician has been asked to reply to your recent question asking how many deaths from (a) chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and (b) lung cancer were recorded in each year since 1996, broken down by age; and how many deaths per 100,000 population there were in each case. 1 am replying in his absence. (146210)
	All the figures requested can be found in the annual series, published by ONS, Mortality Statistics: Cause. Series DH2. Copies of these publications are available from the House of Commons Library. This publication is also available on the internet at: http://www.statistics.gov.uk/ST ATBASE/Product. asp?vlnk=618
	The most recent volume in the series, DH2 No. 29, contains the latest available data, for 2002. Table 5 of this publication shows death rates for 1996 to 2002 for lung cancer (1CD-10 C33-C34; 1CD-9 162) and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (1CD-10 J40-J44; ICD-9 490–492, 496). The number of deaths by sex and age can be found in Table 2 of each annual volume.

Home Reversion Products

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what support he has received from consumer organisations for his plan for the Financial Services Authority to require a valuation of properties used as collateral for home reversion plans;
	(2)  if he will draw up tables of guidance on the amount of money people should expect when taking out home reversion products; and if he will discuss this with (a) consumer groups, (b) mortgage companies and (c) financial advisers.

Ruth Kelly: The Government are carrying out an open consultation on whether the Financial Services Authority (FSA) should regulate home reversion plans. We published a consultation paper 'Regulating home reversion plans' on 11 November and responses are due to be returned by 13 February 2004.
	The issue of property valuation and pricing of reversion plans is considered in paragraphs 21 to 23 of the consultation document. If it is decided that the Financial Services Authority (FSA) should regulate home reversion plans, the details of the regime will be decided by the FSA on the basis of a separate consultation and cost/benefit analysis.

IT Contracts

Jonathan Sayeed: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list information technology contracts in his Department with a value of above £20 million in each of the last 10 years; what the inception date for each system was; when it became fully functional; when it became fully debugged; and what the cost of over-runs has been.

Paul Boateng: HM Treasury has never had an information technology contract above £20 million.
	HM Customs and Excise has let two IT Contracts in excess of £20 million in the past 10 years. An outsourcing contract was signed on 25 August 1999 with Fujitsu C&E Services Ltd., for the provision of IT and telephony infrastructure services. Because this was a services contract, there was no debugging. The Transfer of Undertaking was achieved to target without any overrun. A second contract was awarded to BT/Syntegra in 1989 for the provision of the CHIEF (Customs Handling of Import and Export freight) service. The contract was extended to January 2007 to recognise new strategic business requirements and allow sufficient time for the CIPR (Customs Information Processing Requirement) procurement process. To date, there have been no cost overruns.
	The Inland Revenue has three IT contracts whose budgets exceed £20 million. First, it has a strategic contract with EDS, which commenced on 1 July 1994. This contract covers all IT services for Inland Revenue systems, their enhancement, day to day maintenance and new systems development. It is not a fixed price contract. Major systems are delivered within their own individual internal budgets, and the contract with EDS has supported the development and delivery of these systems since 1994.
	The contract was extended to January 2007 to recognise new strategic business requirements and allow sufficient time for the CIPR (Customs Information Processing Requirement) procurement process. To date, there have been no cost overruns. The Inland Revenue has three IT contracts whose budgets exceed £20 million. First, it has a strategic contract with EDS, which commenced on 1 July 1994. This contract covers all IT services for Inland Revenue systems, their enhancement, day to day maintenance and new systems development. It is not a fixed price contract. Major systems are delivered within their own individual internal budgets, and the contract with EDS has supported the development and delivery of these systems since 1994.
	In 1998 the Inland Revenue inherited a contract from the Department of Social Security for the provision of the NIRS2 Services run by Accenture (formerly Andersen Consulting). The system went live in July 1998 and has been stable since April 2000. The NIRS2 service was provided under a PFI contract which has since been adjusted to allow for the unprecedented level of change required of the system by new legislation. There were some well documented delays in introducing the NIRS system, involving extra development costs, paid for by Andersen Consulting. The Inland Revenue has also incurred business recovery costs, enabling the introduction of more modern and automated business processes.
	The E-IROS contract was awarded to Computacenter in June 2000 for the provision of desktop hardware, software and related services. This is not a fixed price contract and consequently the value of the contract depends on the annual demand for desktop services. It has, however, exceeded £20 million in each of the last four years.

Economic Activity (Leeds, North-West)

Harold Best: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the rate of economic activity was in the Leeds North-West constituency in (a) 1997 and (b) 2002–03.

Ruth Kelly: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	Letter from Colin Mowl to Mr. Harold Best, dated 7 January 2004
	The National Statistician has been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about economic activity rates. I am replying in his absence. (146204)
	The attached table shows the working age economic activity rates for the Leeds North West constituency in successive twelve month periods ending from February 1998 to February 2002. These estimates are from the annual local area Labour Force Survey (LFS). Comparable information for the twelve month period ending February 2003 is not yet available. Working age is defined as ages 16–64 for men and 16–59 for women.
	The series of annual activity rates from 1997/98 to 2000/01 is fairly stable, and the sharp fall in the estimate for 2001/02 may have arisen partly from sampling variability. As with any sample survey, estimates from the LFS are subject to this source of variation.
	
		Working age(1) economic activity rates(2) in the Leeds North West constituency
		
			 March to February Percentage 
		
		
			 1997–98 83.5 
			 1998–99 79.9 
			 1999–2000 82.0 
			 2000–01 84.0 
			 2001–02 73.9 
		
	
	(1) Men aged 16–64 and women aged 16–59
	(2) Economically active as a percentage of the working age population
	Note
	These Labour Force Survey estimates have not been interim-adjusted to reflect the 2001 Census results
	Source
	ONS Labour Force Survey

Ministerial Meetings

Russell Brown: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how often he has met on a one-to-one basis senior representatives from (a) major industrial companies and (b) oil and gas companies.

John Healey: Ministers and civil servants have meetings with a wide range of organisations and individuals as part of the process of policy development and analysis. As with previous Administrations, it is not this Government's practice to provide details of all such meetings. All such contacts are conducted in accordance with the Ministerial Code, the Civil Service Code and Guidance for Civil Servants: Contact with Lobbyists.

Pre-Budget Report 2003

Howard Flight: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  how much of the sum spent on policy, funding and regulation activity which impacts on the private sector, referred to in paragraph 6.47 of the pre-Budget report 2003, was spent on each category; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  how the £9 billion referred to in paragraph 6.47 of the pre-Budget report 2003 is broken down between (a) policy, (b) funding and (c) regulation activity;
	(3)  how much of the annual spend on hospitals, schools and police forces referred to in paragraph 6.47 of the pre-Budget report 2003 is spent on each category;
	(4)  what assessment he has made of the cost to the private sector of the (a) policy, (b) funding and (c) regulation activity which impacts on the private sector as referred to in paragraph 6.47 of the pre-Budget report 2003; and if he will make a statement;
	(5)  how the £11 billion of payments for transactional services referred to in paragraph 6.46 of the pre-Budget report 2003 is composed by (a) sector, (b) benefits, (c) tax collection, (d) tax credits and (e) other services.

Paul Boateng: These are working estimates and a breakdown is therefore not available for publication.

Public Sector Pay

Adam Price: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what account public sector pay review bodies take of rates of (a) staff turnover and (b) vacancies in assessing benefit packages offered by public sector bodies in different regions and localities.

Paul Boateng: Pay Review Bodies are independent bodies. They weigh the evidence they receive from interested parties and their own independent research to formulate recommendations on the remuneration of their remit groups. The Terms of Reference for each Review Body differ and are available from the Office of Manpower Economics, the secretariat to the Review Bodies.

Stamp Duty

Harry Cohen: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many (a) homebuyers and (b) businesses in Leyton have benefited from the exemption from stamp duty on premises purchased in disadvantaged areas since the exemption was introduced; and if he will make a statement.

Ruth Kelly: Between the introduction of the exemption at the end of November 2001 and the end of October 2003, there were 133 residential transactions and two commercial transactions recorded as taking place in the ward of Leyton which benefited from the exemption. In the same period there were 398 residential transactions and nine commercial transactions recorded as taking place in all exempt wards in the Leyton and Wanstead parliamentary constituency.

TRANSPORT

Air Transport

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what discussions he has had with (a) BAA and (b) major airlines on the proposals which will form the basis of the forthcoming consultation on a new night noise regime at (i) Heathrow, (ii) Gatwick and (iii) Stansted.

Alistair Darling: As yet, no discussions have been held with any interested parties to assist in drawing up proposals for the next consultation on a new night restrictions regime for Heathrow, Gatwick or Stansted. We expect the consultation to commence in the first half of this year.

Air Transport

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether local authority grant financing will be available to local authorities who own airports in the South East to develop those airports.

Tony McNulty: Under the new prudential capital finance system, which comes into force on 1 April 2004, a small amount of local authority airport investment will attract revenue support grant. In allocating this investment approval, the Department will give priority to health, safety, security and environmental projects required by the regulatory authorities. Local authorities will be free to make their own decisions on additional borrowing for airport development purposes, providing they can afford it. A further option would be to seek a private sector partner.

Air Transport

Kenneth Clarke: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will use his statutory powers to control the (a) time and (b) volume of night flights in and out of East Midlands Airport.

Kim Howells: The Government consider that existing measures to control noise from night flight operations at East Midlands Airport are adequate. Their policy towards night noise and East Midlands Airport is set out in the Government's White Paper, "The Future of Air Transport", chapters 3 and 9 respectively.

Fuel Efficiency (Road Transport)

Colin Challen: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions he estimates have been saved as a result of the liquid petroleum gas duty rebate; and at what cost to public funds.

David Jamieson: The Department estimates that favourable duty rates for LPG since 1996 have saved around 343.3 thousand tonnes of carbon dioxide at a cost of around £160.7 million in terms of duty forgone. This estimate assumes that all LPG has replaced petrol and not diesel.

Government Consultation Paper

Christopher Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many responses were received to the consultation paper, "On the Move: By Foot"; and when the Government will arrive at their conclusions.

David Jamieson: We received 130 responses. We aim to publish an action plan document in the spring.

New Roads and Street Works Act

Christopher Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many convictions there have been in each of the last five years for contraventions of (a) section 51, (b) section 56, (c) section 58, (d) section 60, (e) section 66, (f) section 67 and (g) section 71 of the New Roads and Street Works Act 1991; and what the (i) maximum and (ii) average fines were imposed for each category of offence.

David Jamieson: Comprehensive information is not held centrally on the number of offences or level of fines. Based on information collected by local authorities, the Regulatory Impact Assessment for the Traffic Management Bill showed that the number of prosecutions under the 1991 Act has been small, less than 200 over the 10 years since the Act came into force, and that the average fine has been less than half the maximum permitted, the latter being £1,000 for all the categories listed.

Road Traffic Accidents

Crispin Blunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many deaths in road traffic accidents involved (a) the use of hand held mobile phones and (b) drivers smoking in (i) 2000, (ii) 2001 and (iii) 2002.

David Jamieson: Research has shown that using a mobile phone while driving is distracting and drivers are four times more likely to have an accident if they do so. While many other activities may also be distracting, we are not aware of a similar risk from the effects of smoking while driving.

Traffic Management Bill

Christopher Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will set out the minimum qualifications which will be required by persons seeking appointment as traffic officers under the Traffic Management Bill.

David Jamieson: The Highways Agency is placing significant importance on appointing the right people to traffic officer posts. Persons applying for a position as a traffic officer will be required to have two years of relevant experience or one year of relevant experience with a minimum of 5 O Levels/GCSEs at grade C or above.
	Applications will also be considered against a set of stringent competencies, aptitudes and essential criteria. A copy of the competences required has been placed in the House of Commons Library.

Traffic Management Bill

Christopher Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list by police authority the number of police officers that will be displaced as a result of the provisions of the Traffic Management Bill, and the proposed timescale for such displacement.

David Jamieson: Once implemented, the provisions within the Traffic Management Bill will free up police time from some traffic management duties. While the police will still patrol the network, they will be able to spend more time and resources dealing with vehicle, road and other crime including detection and enforcement against bad driving, vehicle theft and licensing offences.
	The plans for Highways Agency Traffic Officers will free up the equivalent of more than 500 police officers, as they are phased in over a period of three years. The information is not broken down by police authority. The effect of civil enforcement of further traffic offences by local authorities will depend on the take up of the new powers and the level of current enforcement activity in respect of those offences by the police. The manner in which any resources released are re-deployed will be a matter for the police.

Traffic Management Bill

Christopher Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many convictions there have been in each of the last five years for offences under section 36 of the Road Traffic Act 1988 for failing to comply with the indication given by a traffic sign; and how many convictions there were in respect of traffic signs that would be subject to civil enforcement under the Traffic Management Bill.

David Jamieson: Supplementary tables to annual Home Office Statistical Bulletins on offences relating to motor vehicles give numbers by offence type that were the subject of police action in England and Wales. The number of fixed penalty notices and convictions for "neglect of traffic directions", the offence type which includes failing to comply with the indication given by a traffic sign, in the last five years for which statistics have been published were as follows:
	
		
			  Fixed penalty notices Magistrates court findings of guilt Crown court findings of guilt 
		
		
			 2001 162,885 29,034 42 
			 2000 168,234 30,844 43 
			 1999 175,793 30,891 32 
			 1998 189,921 31,946 53 
			 1997 191,923 33,144 63 
		
	
	A detailed breakdown of these numbers by the types of traffic signs contravened is not held centrally, but the figures include fixed penalties and prosecutions for traffic light offences detected by cameras. They accounted for a quarter of the fixed penalties and convictions for neglect of .traffic directions over the five years. Traffic light offences will not be subject to civil enforcement under the powers contained in the Traffic Management Bill.

Traffic Management Bill

Christopher Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  what proportion of police time in 2002–03 expended on traffic duty on motorways and trunk roads is represented by 550 full-time equivalent police officers;
	(2)  if he will give the data underlying the statement in the regulatory impact assessment for the Traffic Management Bill that the equivalent of 550 full-time police officers will be released as a result of creating traffic officers, and the number of police officers to be released by each police authority.

David Jamieson: The Highways Agency and Association of Chief Police Officers "Roles and Responsibilities Report" identified plans that could free up the equivalent of about 540 full-time equivalent police officers. Based on figures from Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary of 6,540 designated roads police in 2001–02, the report estimated that a transfer of non-core police activities to the Highways Agency enabled approximately 8½ per cent. of police time to work on other key tasks. Resources will be freed up over a period of about three years as Highways Agency Traffic Officers are phased in across all motorways and some key trunk roads.
	Calculations for the number of police officers to be released by each police force were made at a national level and have not been translated into resources for individual police authorities. The manner in which resources are redeployed is a matter for the police and will depend on, among other things, the current resources available and policing priorities. This does not mean that police will stop patrolling the network, instead they will be able to spend more time dealing with vehicle, road and other crime.

Traffic Management Bill

Anthony Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many regional control centres will be established under the Traffic Management Bill; what their annual cost will be; and how many new positions will be created.

David Jamieson: There will be seven regional control centres with an annual cost of about £15 million. It is currently envisaged that the number of new posts created will be about 300.

Traffic Management Bill

Anthony Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the estimated cost is of each additional traffic manager as proposed in the Traffic Management Bill.

David Jamieson: While the Traffic Management Bill proposes that each local traffic authority will be required to appoint a traffic manager, it is for each authority to decide who should carry out the role and precisely what duties they should have. The traffic manager could be an existing member of staff and/or could have other duties as well, so there could be no increase in costs. Taking the Bill measures as a whole, the Government consider that, on average, there should be no net cost to authorities.

ELECTORAL COMMISSION COMMITTEE

Speaker's Committee

Crispin Blunt: To ask the hon. Member for Gosport, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission when the Speaker's Committee last made a report to the House on the exercise by it of its functions.

Peter Viggers: The Speaker's Committee has a statutory obligation to make a report to the House on the exercise by it of its functions at least once in each year. Its most recent report, the First Report, 2003, was laid before the House and published on 18 December 2003 as House of Commons Paper 140. Copies have been placed in the Library and the Vote Office.

ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Badgers

Owen Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether the Government plans to remove the protected status from badgers.

Ben Bradshaw: No.

Climate Change

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what position the Government took at the recent climate change meeting in Italy in respect of GM trees.

Elliot Morley: The UK's position at the recent negotiations on the use of sinks (afforestation and reforestation projects) in the Clean Development Mechanism at the Conference of the Parties negotiations held in Milan was that any proposal to use GMO trees should be consistent with the objective and provisions of the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety, under the Convention on Biological Diversity. This includes a risk assessment and an advanced informed agreement procedure for GMOs intended for intentional introduction into the environment (such as seeds for planting). This was the position agreed by consensus.

Common Agricultural Policy

Michael Wills: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate she has made of the cost per person per week of the Common Agricultural Policy in the United Kingdom in the most recent year for which figures are available.

Ben Bradshaw: The consumer cost of the CAP can be estimated by examining the difference between UK and world prices for agricultural food products. The notional taxpayer contribution to CAP expenditure can also be estimated though, in practice, UK taxpayers contribute to the whole EU budget rather than to specific components. Our provisional estimates for 2002 show an average cost of the CAP per person of just over £2 per week.

Correspondence

Alistair Burt: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when she will make a substantive reply to the letter from the hon. Member for North-East Bedfordshire of 23 October, and his fax of 16 November to the hon. Member for Scunthorpe in relation to his constituent Mr. Ross Donovan.

Elliot Morley: I responded to the hon. Member in full on 1 January 2004.

Environmental Sustainability

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs where the UK ranks in the Environmental Sustainability Index; and if she will list the rankings of other EU countries.

Elliot Morley: holding answer 5 January 2004
	The UK ranks 91st internationally in the 2002 Environmental Sustainability Index compiled by the Global Leaders of Tomorrow Task Force of the World Economic Forum in association with the Yale Center for Environmental Law and Policy and Columbia University. The rankings of other EU member states are shown in the following table. However, the UK and other countries believe this index is profoundly flawed and therefore potentially misleading, for the following reasons. It is an aggregated indicator which aims to weight together many components into a single overall measure of 'environmental Sustainability', an approach which as yet is not scientifically robust. The choice of components, and the way in which they are weighted together, is largely subjective. A different choice of components or weights would give different results, amply illustrated by the fact that the previous edition of this index, based on a different selection of components, placed the UK 16th.
	Furthermore, there are still many areas where data are not sufficiently comparable between countries, or are simply not available. The values of many of the variables used to compile this index are imputed. It should also be noted that the variables used in this index tend to measure circumstances at a single point in time rather than trends or changes, therefore to the extent the index measures anything at all, it measures the environmental situation which a country faces rather than its progress or performance in improving environmental sustainability.
	
		2002 ESI rankings by country
		
			 Rank Country ESI 
		
		
			 1 Finland 73.9 
			 3 Sweden 72.6 
			 7 Austria 64.2 
			 28 Portugal 57.1 
			 31 Denmark 56.2 
			 33 France 55.5 
			 34 Netherlands 55.4 
			 37 Ireland 54.8 
			 44 Spain 54.1 
			 50 Germany 52.5 
			 60 Greece 50.9 
			 84 Italy 47.2 
			 91 United Kingdom 46.1 
			 125 Belgium 39.1 
		
	
	Note:
	Luxemburg is not ranked
	Source
	Global Leaders of Tomorrow Task Force of the World Economic Forum in association with Yale Center for Environmental Law and Policy and Columbia University

Grey Squirrels

Peter Atkinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when she expects to receive the report from the Forestry Commission England on the control of grey squirrels.

Ben Bradshaw: holding answer 18 December 2003
	The Forestry Commission has not been asked to prepare a report on the control of grey squirrels. They are however currently engaged in the preparation of a policy statement on this subject. This is one of the commitments made in the response to the recommendations contained in the "Sustaining England's Woodlands" review. There is no firm timetable for the presentation of the statement.

Identity Cards

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the implications of the introduction of compulsory identity cards for her Department.

Alun Michael: The introduction of compulsory identity cards is a long-term undertaking on which inter-departmental discussions are led by the Home Office. This Department has an interest in tackling illegal working at an acceptable compliance cost to business (for example, in the agriculture and fresh produce sectors) and in providing a means to encourage legal routes of migration to the UK.

Katherine Bryan

Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether it was known by Ministers in her Department that Katherine Bryan had applied for the post of Chief Executive of Water Services at the Northern Ireland Department for Regional Development at the time when she was appointed to chair the Committee on Radioactive Waste Management (CoRWM); on what date she tendered her resignation as CoRWM chair; what considerations was given to the other shortlisted candidates for the Chair of CoRWM in the appointment of her replacement; and who has been chosen as a replacement for Katherine Bryan on the Committee.

Elliot Morley: holding answer 10 December 2003
	No. Ministers knew of Mrs. Bryan's intention to resign on 26 November 2003. With the agreement of the Environment Ministers for Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales, and after consultation with the Office of the Commissioner for Public Appointments, an announcement was made on 5 December that Gordon MacKerron, an existing member of CoRWM, was to be appointed as the new Chair. Among those candidates originally interviewed for the post of Chair, he was considered the most suitable replacement for Mrs. Bryan. No other appointment to CoRWM has been made.

Pesticides

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what (a) sources and (b) methodology was used to calculate (i) buffer zone sizes, (ii) grassland area affected and (iii) arable area affected in the Pesticides Safety Directorate discussion paper proposals for the Introduction of No-Spray Buffer Zones Around Residential Properties in England and Wales.

Alun Michael: The consultation document included four possible buffer zone sizes. These were 6 metres (reflecting a quarter section of a typical spray boom), 1.0 metres (the minimum set-aside width); 100 metres; and 300 metres.
	For the purpose of the consultation comparisons of the economic effects of introducing these various sizes of buffer zones were made. Information was sought from the Rural Development Service's Geographic Information Unit. The Unit estimated the area of both arable and improved grassland adjacent to built-up areas in five selected areas. This was done utilising the Land Cover Map 2000 which is derived from the analysis of Earth observational satellite imagery. The resulting data was then extrapolated to provide a total figure for England and Wales.
	It was always acknowledged that these figures were illustrative, and one of the purposes of going to consultation was to see if these estimates could be refined further.
	A decision is yet to be made of what size, if any, buffer zone will be introduced. Further work is being carried out to determine more accurately the areas affected.

Pesticides

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs from how many of the organisations and individuals invited by the Pesticide Safety Directorate to the stakeholder meeting on 13 October about the consultation on plans for greater access to information about crop spraying written responses were received (a) by the official deadline and (b) after the deadline.

Alun Michael: The meeting on 13 October was held with rural residents' interest groups to discuss the issues raised by the informal consultation exercise on public access to information on pesticide use and to identify how practical measures might be introduced.
	Those who attended were invited because it was felt they would be in a position to address the practical issues raised, rather than solely on the basis of having submitted a written response to the informal consultation.
	Of the 33 representative organisations and individuals who were invited, five attended, 10 submitted written responses to the informal consultation by the official deadline; the remaining 23 did not submit a response. The official deadline was extended from 31 August to 30 September to take account of the summer holiday period.

EDUCATION AND SKILLS

CAFCASS

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills for what reason there are no plans to publish Sir Clive Booth's report on CAFCASS.

Margaret Hodge: There are no plans to publish Professor Sir Clive Booth's review as it contains confidential information about individual Board members.
	The central recommendation of Professor Sir Clive Booth's review was to make a fresh start with the Board. Ministers accepted his proposal that all Board members should be asked to submit their resignations.

Children's Minister

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills which quangos come under the remit of the Children's Minister; and how they are accountable.

Margaret Hodge: I am responsible for the Independent Advisory Group on Teenage Pregnancy. The Lord Chancellor is currently the Minister responsible for the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (CAFCASS). However, Ministerial responsibility for CAFCASS will transfer to me in this Year. Baroness Ashton of Upholland is Minister responsible for the Special Educational Needs and Disability Tribunal, although I have a working interest in the Tribunal's operation.
	Responsibility for the day-to-day work of these Non-Departmental Public Bodies (NDPBs) rests with their Executive Team and Board or President, although Ministers provide the overall strategic direction. Ministers appoint NDPBs' Board members or Presidents, and are answerable to Parliament for the NDPBs' stewardship of public funds; for their overall economy, effectiveness and efficiency; and for the general manner in which they carry out their remit.

School and College League Performance Tables

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what plans he has to show A levels and vocational course qualifications separately in college league tables; and if he will make a statement.

David Miliband: We have no plans to show A levels and vocational course qualifications separately in performance tables. The school and college performance tables will show combined results for General (GCE) and/or Vocational (VCE) A levels, Advanced Subsidiary (AS) qualifications and key skills at level 3. This practice recognises the qualifications as equal in worth and does not undermine the achievements in any particular qualification in any way. We are, though, currently consulting on future measures of success which will take account of the diverse curriculum offer in post 16 learning. "Measuring success in the Learning and Skills Sector" can be found at www.successforall.gov.uk. Following that consultation we will consider whether any changes in presentation should be introduced in future years' tables.

Commonwealth Universities

Tim Boswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what recent representations he has received concerning the possibility of a common entrance qualification for Commonwealth universities; and if he will make a statement.

Alan Johnson: I have received no representations on this subject. Policies on admissions decisions for Commonwealth Universities are for their respective Governments.

Directorate Staff

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills pursuant to his answer of 16 December 2003, Official Report, column 833W, on Directorate Staff, if he will make a statement on the change in staff numbers in the (a) schools and (b) Lifelong Learning Directorates in 2003; and to which directorates the staff employed within the Youth Directorate have been transferred.

Charles Clarke: holding answer 6 January2003
	Following the Machinery of Government changed in June 2003 the DfES assumed lead responsibility in Whitehall for policy on children and the family. As a result of the changes, around 120 staff from the Home Office, the Department of Health and the Department for Constitutional Affairs, who were engaged in a range of work on children and family issues, transferred to DfES. To support its enhanced role, the Department created a new Directorate: Children, Young People and Families, drawing together all those who were employed in these areas to improve the coordination of policy development and service delivery. Around 600 staff in Schools Directorate working on Sure Start and children's issues were moved to the new Directorate, accounting for the significant change in staff numbers in Schools Directorate during the latter part of 2003.
	The increase in staff numbers in Lifelong Learning Directorate during the second half of 2003 resulted from the transfer of 200 staff from the former Youth Directorate. The majority of the remaining staff in Youth Directorate transferred to the Children, Young People and Families Directorate, while a small number moved to Strategy and Communications Directorate.

Earned Autonomy Scheme

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what recent assessment he has made of the effects of introducing an earned autonomy scheme, as provided for in the Education Act 2002; and if he will make a statement.

David Miliband: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for Fareham (Mr. Hoban) on 3 December 2003, Official Report, column 92W.

Excellence in Cities Programme

Peter Luff: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills pursuant to his answer of 17 December 2003, ref.143373, for what reason he has not provided the information on the Excellence in Cities programme in the form requested.

Charles Clarke: We did not provide the reply in the same format as the answers relating to Leadership Incentive Grant, Education Action Zones and Excellence Clusters because the funds that are allocated to Excellence in Cities (EiC) authorities are intended for all the schools in the authority. Funds provided for the other named programmes are targeted resources for individual schools as identified by my Department and local education authorities. However, we have now provided a table in the required format, listing the total schools in each authority. It is not possible to provide a meaningful breakdown of primary and secondary schools, as we do not know exactly where individual authorities will target their EiC funds.
	
		Standards fund 2003–04
		
			 LEAnumber LEA Allocation (£) Number of schools 
		
		
			 201 City of London — — 
			 202 Camden 298,639 224 
			 203 Greenwich 788,775 234 
			 204 Hackney 550,040 274 
			 205 Hammersmith 250,500 188 
			 206 Islington 841,633 231 
			 207 Kensington and Chelsea — — 
			 208 Lambeth 255,721 283 
			 209 Lewisham 274,579 244 
			 210 Southwark 560,000 263 
			 211 Tower Hamlets 811,652 194 
			 212 Wandsworth 250,000 326 
			 213 Westminster — — 
			 301 Barking 631,427 134 
			 302 Barnet — — 
			 303 Bexley — — 
			 304 Brent 312,710 246 
			 305 Bromley — — 
			 306 Croydon — — 
			 307 Ealing 256,510 297 
			 308 Enfield 319,203 250 
			 309 Haringey 250,000 231 
			 310 Harrow — — 
			 311 Havering — — 
			 312 Hillingdon — — 
			 313 Hounslow 290,503 179 
			 314 Kingston upon Thames — — 
			 315 Merton — — 
			 316 Newham 250,000 213 
			 317 Redbridge — — 
			 318 Richmond upon Thames — — 
			 319 Sutton — — 
			 320 Waltham Forest 602,958 207 
			 330 Birmingham 1,452,020 967 
			 331 Coventry — — 
			 332 Dudley — — 
			 333 Sandwell 250,000 229 
			 334 Solihull — — 
			 335 Walsall — — 
			 336 Wolverhampton 295,785 235 
			 340 Knowsley 270,833 129 
			 341 Liverpool 1,092,361 558 
			 342 St Helens 599,139 175 
			 343 Sefton 815,628 250 
			 344 Wirral 584,352 316 
			 350 Bolton — — 
			 351 Bury — — 
			 352 Manchester 843,879 451 
			 353 Oldham 250,000 243 
			 354 Rochdale 547,987 243 
			 355 Salford 867,664 259 
			 356 Stockport — — 
			 357 Tameside — — 
			 358 Trafford — — 
			 359 Wigan — — 
			 370 Barnsley 258,441 208 
			 371 Doncaster 250,000 267 
			 372 Rotherham 837,876 236 
			 373 Sheffield 827,240 494 
			 380 Bradford 611,489 489 
			 381 Calderdale — — 
			 382 Kirklees — — 
			 383 Leeds 1,147,048 823 
			 384 Wakefield — — 
			 390 Gateshead 864,819 200 
			 391 Newcastle upon Tyne 550,000 265 
			 392 North Tyneside 571,682 159 
			 393 South Tyneside 539,954 124 
			 394 Sunderland 854,018 225 
			 420 Isles of Scilly — — 
			 800 Bath and NE Somerset — — 
			 801 City of Bristol 590,944 374 
			 802 North Somerset — — 
			 803 South Gloucestershire — — 
			 805 Hartlepool 250,000 61 
			 806 Middlesbrough 595,259 111 
			 807 Redcar and Cleveland 279,036 91 
			 808 Stockton-on-Tees 559,627 127 
			 810 Kingston-upon-Hull 561,136 200 
			 811 East Riding of Yorkshire — — 
			 812 North East Lincolnshire — — 
			 813 North Lincolnshire — — 
			 815 North Yorkshire — — 
			 816 York — — 
			 820 Bedfordshire — — 
			 821 Luton 250,000 165 
			 825 Buckinghamshire — — 
			 826 Milton Keynes — — 
			 830 Derbyshire — — 
			 831 Derby — — 
			 835 Dorset — — 
			 836 Poole — — 
			 837 Bournemouth — — 
			 840 Durham — — 
			 841 Darlington — — 
			 845 East Sussex — — 
			 846 Brighton & Hove — — 
			 850 Hampshire — — 
			 851 Portsmouth — — 
			 852 Southampton — — 
			 855 Leicestershire — — 
			 856 Leicester 500,000 271 
			 857 Rutland — — 
			 860 Staffordshire — — 
			 861 Stoke-on-Trent 583,255 214 
			 865 Wiltshire — — 
			 866 Swindon — — 
			 867 Bracknell Forest — — 
			 868 Windsor and Maidenhead — — 
			 869 West Berkshire — — 
			 870 Reading — — 
			 871 Slough — — 
			 872 Wokingham — — 
			 873 Cambridgeshire — — 
			 874 Peterborough — — 
			 875 Cheshire — — 
			 876 Halton 554,366 130 
			 877 Warrington — — 
			 878 Devon — — 
			 879 Plymouth — — 
			 880 Torbay — — 
			 881 Essex — — 
			 882 Southend-on-Sea — — 
			 883 Thurrock — — 
			 884 Herefordshire — — 
			 885 Worcestershire — — 
			 886 Kent — — 
			 887 Medway Towns — — 
			 888 Lancashire — — 
			 889 Blackburn with Darwen 297,727 125 
			 890 Blackpool 253,384 119 
			 891 Nottinghamshire — — 
			 892 Nottingham City 608,555 252 
			 893 Shropshire — — 
			 894 Telford and Wrekin — — 
			 908 Cornwall — — 
			 909 Cumbria — — 
			 916 Gloucestershire — — 
			 919 Hertfordshire — — 
			 921 Isle of Wight — — 
			 925 Lincolnshire — — 
			 926 Norfolk — — 
			 928 Northamptonshire — — 
			 929 Northumberland — — 
			 931 Oxfordshire — — 
			 933 Somerset — — 
			 935 Suffolk — — 
			 936 Surrey — — 
			 937 Warrington — — 
			 938 West Sussex — — 
			   — — 
			 — Total 28,860,350 14,003

Free School Meals

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many and what proportion of children received free school meals in each of the last five years; and what proportion of children were entitled to free school meals in each of the last five years.

David Miliband: The information requested is given in the tables.
	
		Position in January each year—England
		
			  Day Pupils(4),(5) 
			  1999 2000 2001 2002 2003(5) 
		
		
			  Maintained nursery and primary schools(3) school meal arrangements 
			 Number on roll 4,507,663 4,481,677 4,451,224 4,405,639 4,350,260 
			 Number of pupils taking free school meals(6) 690,321 671,486 631,638 616,625 604,911 
			 Percentage of pupil staking free school meals 15.3 15.0 14.2 14.0 13.9 
			 Number of pupils known to be eligible for free meals(7) 853,020 821,521 784,976 754,511 731,611 
			 Percentage of pupils known to be eligible for free meals 18.9 18.3 17.6 17.1 16.8 
			   
			 Maintained secondary schools1: school meal arrangements 
			 Number on roll 3,118,277 3,177,998 3,226,973 3,260,931 3,308,492 
			 Number of pupils taking free school meals(6) 367,795 368,303 353,469 354,256 349,777 
			 Percentage of pupil staking free school meals 11.8 11.6 11.0 10.9 10.6 
			 Number of pupils known to be eligible for free meals 527,339 523,630 509,676 486,353 478,915 
			 Percentage of pupils known to be eligible for free meals(7) 16.9 16.5 15.8 14.9 14.5 
		
	
	(3) Includes middle schools as deemed.
	(4) Day pupils includes all full-time and part-time pupils who are solely or dually registered, excluding boarding pupils. See
	(5) for 2003.
	(6) In 2003 boarding pupils are included.
	(7) Number of pupils taking a free school meal on the day of the Census in January.
	(8) Prior to 2001 figures relate to the number of pupils known to be eligible for a free school meal. From 2001 this definition was expanded to include only pupils who were known to be eligible for and claiming a free school meal.
	Source:
	Annual Schools' Census

Further and Higher Education

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills whether it is his intention to increase the overall total number of students aged 18 to 30 who study for courses in (a) higher education and (b) further education institutions by 2010.

Alan Johnson: The White Paper: The Future of Higher Education was published in January 2003. In this, the Government set out plans to increase participation in higher education towards 50 per cent. of those aged 18 to 30 by 2010.Although there are no numerical targets for expansion of student numbers in further education, funding will increase by £1.2 billion between 2002–03 and 2005–06, a 19 per cent. real terms increase. This will help to support increased participation in further education.

Further and Higher Education

Khalid Mahmood: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what research his Department has carried out on the ability of (a) individual learners and (b) employers to pay increased fees for further education courses.

Alan Johnson: I refer the hon. Member to my reply to his earlier question, 16 December 2003, Official Report, column 835W, refers.

Further and Higher Education

Peter Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what representations he has received from Scottish universities in respect of the proposed Higher Education Bill.

Alan Johnson: I have received representations from a wide range of sources since the White Paper was published. My Department has had discussions regarding the proposals in the Higher Education Bill with Universities UK which represents institutions across the UK.

School Finance

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the level of (a) revenue funding and (b) school-based expenditure per school pupil was in each of the last five years, broken down by (i) capital expenditure, (ii) expenditure on special schools and (iii) central administration and support services.

David Miliband: The bulk of capital funding is now allocated by formula to schools and local authorities, and investment decisions are made locally in the context of the Asset Management Plan. In the interests of reducing the bureaucratic burden, the Department does not collect data for capital expenditure from schools or authorities. The information requested on recurrent funding is contained in the following tables:
	
		(a) Total funding per pupil aged 3–19 
		
			 England £ 
		
		
			 1997–98 2,510 
			 1998–99 2,620 
			 1999–2000 2,800 
			 2000–01 3,060 
			 2001–02 3,280 
			 2002–03 3.490 
			 2003–04 3,690 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. Figures reflect education SSA/EFS settlement (all sub-blocks). Total funding also includes all revenue grants in DfES departmental Expenditure Limits relevant to EPS pupils aged 3–19.
	2. Figures exclude EMAs and grants not allocated at LEA level and the pensions transfer to EPS and LSC for 2003–04.
	3. The pupil numbers used are those underlying the SSA/EFS settlement calculations plus PLASC 3 year olds maintained pupils, estimated 3–4 year olds funded through state support in maintained and other educational institutions where these are not included in the SSA pupil numbers.
	4. 2003–04 and 2002–03 figures are provisional estimates as some grants have not yet been finalised/audited.
	5. Cash terms figures used are rounded to the nearest 10 so may not sum.
	
		(b) School based expenditure per pupil
		
			  NIE Pupils NIE per pupil 
		
		
			  (ii) Expenditure on special schools(9) 
			 1997–98 882,132,000 91,870 9,602 
			 1998–99 910,015,000 91,837 9,909 
			 1999–2000 986,451,471 90,980 10,843 
			 2000–01 1,071,331,814 90,055 11,896 
			 2001–02 1,151,146,785 89,083 12,922 
			  
			  (iii) Central administration and support services(10) 
			 1997–98 1,206,130,000 7,473,985 161 
			 1998–99 1,330,466,000 7,526,071 177 
			 1999–2000 1,302,341,279 7,565,844 172 
			 2000–01 1,408,239,708 7,592,711 185 
			 2001–02 1,444,640,500 7,595,137 190 
		
	
	(9) Net institutional expenditure includes all school-recurrent funding, including teaching staff and non-teaching staff salaries, school premises costs, equipment and supplies, and unspent balances held by schools at the year end. Excludes spending on central administration and support services such as transport and school meals as well as capital expenditure.
	(10) For 1997–98 and 1998–99 management and support expenditure comprises of spending on management and administration, inspection and advisory services, other education support services and school catering services. For 1999–2000, 2000–01 and 2001–02 management and support expenditure comprises of statutory/regulatory duties and other support services.
	Notes:
	1. Figures are in cash terms as reported by the LEA.
	2. The expenditure data for 1997–98 and 1998–99 is drawn from the annual 'RO1' spending returns which local authorities submitted to the Department of Environment, Transport and the Regions. From 1999–2000 onwards, data is taken from local education authorities' Section 52 Outturn Statements submitted to the DfES. The pupil data are drawn from the DfES Annual Schools' Census.

Language Study

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills pursuant to his answer of 17 December 2003, Official Report, column 958W, on language study, what measures he is taking to reverse the decline in the number of schools offering Latin at (a) GCSE and (b) A-level.

David Miliband: It is for individual schools and colleges to decide which subjects they are to provide, aside from those in the National Curriculum. From October 2003, we have expanded the Specialist School programme to include Specialist Humanities Colleges, through which schools may focus on Latin alongside other humanities subjects. We have introduced an Advanced Extension Award in Latin which has been available since 2002.

School Streaming

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills pursuant to his answer of 15 December 2003, Official Report, column 669W, on streaming, if he will assess the extent to which the practices of (a) personalised learning and (b) teaching tailored to the needs of pupils are endorsed by the conclusions of the research review conducted by the National Foundation for Educational Research.

David Miliband: The practices of (a) personalised learning and (b) teaching tailored to the needs of pupils are fully endorsed by the research review conducted by the National Foundation for Educational Research, which concludes that "schools need to take account of what is most appropriate for their staff, pupils, parents and community, in the context of their particular circumstances (such as class size, pupil ability range and resources) and national developments such as the requirements of the National Curriculum."

Schools (Leadership)

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills 
	(1)  what discussions he has had with the Chief Inspector of Schools about measuring effective leadership and management in schools; and what actions were taken as a consequence;
	(2)  what discussions he has had with the Chief Inspector of Schools about measures to improve the performance of schools, where that performance is assessed as being adequate;
	(3)  what discussions he has had with the Chief Inspector of Schools on (a) the consistency of reports on particular schools and their staff and (b) the grading of schools;
	(4)  what discussions he has had with the Chief Inspector of Schools concerning the number of (a) schools, (b) teachers and (c) lessons rated satisfactory; and what the consequences of these discussions were.

David Miliband: My right hon. Friend has frequent discussions with HM Chief Inspector of Schools, David Bell, about a range of matters relating to standards in schools.

Specialist Colleges

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills pursuant to his answer of 17 December 2003, Official Report, column 967W, on specialist colleges, what the (a) Key Stage 3 and (b) GCSE/GNVQ value-added scores were in 2002–03 for those non-grammar specialist schools that select more than 10 per cent. of their pupils on the basis of aptitude; and if he will make a statement.

David Miliband: The information requested is set out in the following table 1 :
	
		
			 School LEA Key Stage 2–3 value added measure 2003 
		
		
			 Chaucer Technology School Kent 100.4 
			 Chestnut Grove School Wandsworth 98.9 
			 Deacon's School Peterborough, City of 100.9 
			 Glyn Technology School Surrey 100.4 
			 Lynn Grove VA High School Norfolk 100.5 
			 St. Margaret's C of E High School Liverpool 100.5 
		
	
	Key Stage 3–4 value added measures for 2003 have not yet been published. They are due to be published on 15 January 2004 in the "Secondary School (GCSE/GNVQ) Performance Tables 2003" 2 .
	1 Source: "Secondary School (Key Stage 3) Performance Tables 2003" http://www.dfes.gov.uk/performancetables/ks3 03.shtml
	2 Information will be published on the following website: http://www.dfes.gov.uk/performancetables/

Student Finance

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what assessment he has made of the impact on (a) mature students and (b) part-time students of (i) the proposed changes in tuition fees and (ii) contingent loan repayments.

Alan Johnson: holding answer 9 December 2003
	Mature students will be treated in the same way as younger students both as far as the proposed changes to tuition fees and to income contingent loans are concerned: where they are studying full time, up front fees would be abolished and they will be subject to variable fees of between £0 and £3,000 per year from 2006; re-payable following graduation and for any loans they take out with the Student Loans Company, they will benefit from the raising of the income threshold above which repayments are made from £10,000 to £15,000 from 2005. Part time students are already subject to variable fees: where they have taken out loans with the Student Loans Company, they too will benefit from the raising of the income threshold from £10,000 to £15,000 from 2005. We are introducing a new package of support for part time students in 2004/05, including a grant for fees of up to £575 and a course grant, neither of which are repayable. Mature students are also particularly likely to benefit from the new HE Grant of £1,000, being introduced from 2004/05. We expect around a third of all those getting the full grant of £1,000 to be independent, despite such students making up only around 15 per cent of the total student population.

Teachers

Mark Simmonds: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how much funding was made available for (a) primary schools and (b) all schools in England and Wales to pay for in-service training for teachers in each year since 1997.

David Miliband: It is not possible to disaggregate funding solely for in-service training. Schools have the autonomy within their overall school budgets to determine how much they make available for training purposes in the light of their own priorities and needs.

Volunteering

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills 
	(1)  what plans he has to respond to (a) the European Commission and (b) the EU presidency on the joint statement and conclusions from the November 2003 Conference on Youth Volunteering and Civic Service;
	(2)  whether he intends to take an active part in developing full time civic service and transnational volunteering programmes for young people (a) in the UK and (b) with other EU member states and accession countries;
	(3)  how he will involve the experience and contribution of UK youth volunteering organisations in the process of exchanging information, research, cooperation and development of civic service.

Ivan Lewis: We are committed to promoting opportunities for young people not only to volunteer in their local communities through such programmes as Millennium Volunteers and the Young Volunteer Challenge but also in Europe through the European Voluntary Service. During the Irish Presidency of the European Union (EU) we will seek to influence the continuing discussions on youth volunteering, building on the European Commission's White Paper on Youth Policy and the Conclusions from the Commission and EU Presidency presented to the Rome Conference in November. Within the spirit of the Compact with the voluntary and community sector and the EU Open Method of Consultation on Youth we will continue to work closely with organisations with experience of volunteering to develop and deliver our policies and influence European-level activity.

York Schools

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what his policy is on how to bridge the funding shortfall for schools in the City of York.

David Miliband: On 29 October my right hon. Friend announced proposals to restore stability to school funding. Amongst the package of measures, we are ensuring that for 2004–05 all schools will see a guaranteed minimum increase in their per pupil budget amounting to 4 per cent. per pupil where pupil numbers remain the same. In addition, we have ensured that schools will receive an increase in the amounts of Standards Fund, School Standards Grant and funding from the LSC for sixth forms in line with the minimum guarantee.
	We are increasing the School Formula Spending Share by a minimum of 5 per cent. per pupil—the City of York's increase is 6.8 per cent. This will give the Authority the headroom and flexibility to deliver the guarantee and provide support to help schools facing additional pressures.
	On 10 December, the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced that a further £317 million will be going to local authorities in their Revenue Support Grant for 2004–05 for authorities with education and social services functions. This is on top of the increases already announced in the provisional settlement. For almost all authorities the additional grant will reduce the pressure on services and council tax, and will make it easier for authorities to meet education passporting targets. In the case of the City of York the additional grant amounts to £1.2 million.
	However, if the City of York or any other LEA is able to put forward a compelling case that additional, transitional funds are needed in the short term—above and beyond those already available to the LEA —my right hon. Friend will be prepared to consider bringing forward grant payments from my Department, so that the LEA will have funds available in 2004–05 for this purpose, with the expectation of a consequential reduction to what they will receive in future years. The maximum amount that the City of York might be able to bring forward in this way would be £300,000.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

Age Discrimination

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will ensure that those who choose to work after 65 enjoy the same employment rights as those under 65.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The great majority of employment protection legislation already applies to older workers, whatever their age. We will review upper age limits on statutory redundancy payments and general unfair dismissal claims, and make final decisions on them, in the light of responses to the recent public consultation on age "discrimination, Equality and Diversity: Age Matters".

Regional Development Agencies

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much has been spent by each of the Regional Development Agencies, in each of the last four years, on corporate plans.

Jacqui Smith: As set out in Quangos: Opening the Doors (1998) www.cabinet-office.gov.uk/central/198/pb/open/od main.htm, the Government believe that non-departmental public bodies should disclose as much information as possible including information on their role and achievements. England's Regional Development Agencies are required to prepare and publish Corporate Plans with a three year planning horizon, which are revised every two years, to synchronise planning and funding horizons with the Spending Review process. The current Corporate Plans cover the period 2003–06.
	The amount spent by RDAs in each of the last four years on printing and distribution of such plans is set out in the following table. The figures do not include the cost of staff resources in developing the detail of the plans where they are produced in-house, consulting stakeholders on the policies and activities reflected in the plans, nor the cost of departmental resources in approving them, which could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. Expenditure also varies for many reasons such as the number of copies produced, whether consultants were used or whether the plans were only made available on the internet.
	
		£
		
			  2000–01 2001–02 2002–03 2003–04 
		
		
			 AWM 3,500 3,500 19,405 29,629 
			 EEDA 4,477 8,268 8,051 8,416 
			 emda   10,000  
			 LDA — 500 20,038 27,162 
			 NWDA 9,375 8,326 2,452 3,058 
			 ONE 50,000 2,500 2,500 2,653 
			 SEEDA(11) 
			 SWRDA 500 500 4,580 14,568 
			 Yorkshire Forward 
		
	
	(11) No printing and distribution costs were incurred as the Corporate Plan is only available on the internet.

Regional Development Agencies

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what has been the average length of time taken for the Government to approve projects (a) projected to cost more than £1 million and (b) projected to cost less than £1 million, that are proposed by each of the regional development agencies, following the issuing of a corporate plan, in the last year for which figures are available.

Jacqui Smith: Under Section 5(2)(a) of the Regional Development Agencies Act 1998 the Agencies may not give financial assistance without the consent of the Secretary of State. However, the consent of the Secretary of State has been given to each Agency to give such assistance subject to a specific financial limit and other conditions set out in its Financial Memorandum. Any proposed expenditure or guarantee that is in any way novel or contentious, regardless of its cost, also requires the specific approval of the Treasury.
	During 2002–03, the average time taken for DTI to approve RDA proposals for expenditure exceeding the financial limit (£5 million during 2002–03) was 3–4 weeks. The average time taken to approve projects that required additional approval from the Treasury was nine weeks.

Regional Development Agencies

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry who appoints board members of regional development agencies.

Jacqui Smith: The Secretary of State for Trade and Industry appoints the Chairs of England's Regional Development Agencies, while responsibility for appointing Board members is delegated to me, as Minister for Industry and the Regions.
	The process for appointing both the Regional Development Agency Chairs and Board Members is run according to the Code of Practice issued by the Commissioner for Public Appointments (this can be found at www.ocpa.gov.uk).
	Appointments are made on merit, following open competition, application and formal interviews. Each applicant is assessed against the selection criteria, as set out in the person specification for the post.

Company Directors (Disqualifications)

Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether a target has been set for the number of proceedings to be brought in the public interest for disqualification of company directors.

Gerry Sutcliffe: As announced by my predecessor, the Member for Welwyn Hatfield (Miss Johnson), to the House on 28 March 2003, Official Report, column 30–31WS, no numerical targets are set for the disqualification of company directors.
	The Insolvency Service is expected to bring proceedings in every case where it is in the public interest.

Departmental Grants

Brian Cotter: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what funding is provided in financial year 2003–04 by her Department to finance the Enterprising Solutions Award.

Nigel Griffiths: Approximately £35,000 this financial year.

Departmental Staff

Russell Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what percentage of staff employed within her Department are over 55 years of age; and what (a) number and (b) percentage of staff recruited over the last 12 months are over 55 years of age.

Jacqui Smith: 13.5 per cent. of staff employed within DTI HQ are over 55 years of age. Of those staff recruited over the last 12 months (1 January-31 December 2003), eight were over 55, representing 3.8 per cent. of those recruited during that period.

Export Credits Guarantee Department

Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what value of guarantees have been issued by the Export Credits Guarantee Department since 1997 which relate to (a) military and defence projects, (b) aerospace projects, (c) oil, petrochemical and gas projects, (d) environmental projects, (e) telecommunications and transport projects, (f) education and medical projects and (g) mining projects, broken down by country.

Mike O'Brien: The information requested is in the following table, except for (d) environmental projects. While projects may have environmental benefits, for example: water treatment plants, or paper mills that use recycled paper as raw material, it would not be appropriate to class these as primarily 'environmental'.
	ECGD has, since 2001, assessed the potential environmental and social impacts of all projects it has been asked to support, except for defence and aerospace, which are subject to separate processes.
	The currency values of ECGDs Guarantees have been converted at the exchange rates at the end of November.
	
		£ million
		
			 Market Military and Defence Aerospace Oil, Petrochemical and Gas Environmental Telecomms and Transport Education and Medical Mining Other Grand Total 
		
		
			 Abu Dhabi — — 8 — — — — 48 56  
			 Algeria — — 84 — — — —  84  
			 Anguilla — — — — — — — 1 1  
			 Argentina — — — — — — — 1 1  
			 Australia — 57 — — 2 — — 8 67  
			 Austria — 13 — — — — — — 13  
			 Azerbaijan — 13 — — 12 — — — 25  
			 Bahrain — 157 — — — — — — 157  
			 Bangladesh — — — — 80 — — — 80  
			 Barbados — — — — 11 — — — 11  
			 Belgium — 45 — — 10 — — — 54  
			 Botswana — — 9 — — — — — 9  
			 Brazil 74 55 110 — 1 — — 151 391  
			 Brunei Darussalam 590 — — — — — — — 590  
			 Canada — 345 — — — — — 3 348  
			 Chile 2 173 — — — — —  175  
			 China — 496 — 16 36 — — 584 1,133  
			 Colombia — 19 — — — — — — 19  
			 Costa Rica — — — — — — — — — 
			 Croatia — 38 — — — — — 21 59  
			 Cyprus — 15 — — 8 — — 7 30  
			 Denmark — 24 — — — — — — 24  
			 Dominica — — — — — — — 9 9  
			 Dominican Republic — — — — 27 — — 20 47  
			 EC Market n/k — — — — — — — 32 32  
			 Egypt 16 43 7 89 2 — — 62 220  
			 El Salvador — 82 — — — — — — 82  
			 Finland — 32 — — — — — — 32  
			 France — — 8 — 10 — — — 18  
			 Germany 1 — — — 17 — — — 19  
			 Ghana — — — 17 14 — — 31 63  
			 Greece 79 77 — — 8 — — — 165  
			 Hong Kong — 194 66 — 192 — — 42 494  
			 Iceland — 31 — — — — — — 31  
			 India 14 — — — 14 — — 77 106  
			 Indonesia 67 142 — — 7 — — 65 281  
			 Iran (Islamic Republic of) — — 37 3 — — 37 11 5 193  
			 Israel — 5 — — — — — 16 21  
			 Italy 4 — — — 10 — — — 15  
			 Jamaica — — — — 22 — — 20 42  
			 Japan . — — — — 2 — — 25 27  
			 Kazakhstan — — — — 38 46 — — 84  
			 Korea Republic of 82 231 — — 5 — 20 34 372  
			 Kuwait 8 — — 9 — — — — 94  
			 Lebanon — — — — — — — 26 26  
			 Lesotho — — — — — — — 1 1  
			 Lithuania 3 — — — — — — — 3  
			 Luxembourg — 84 — — — — — — 84  
			 Malaysia 363 — 40 — 10 — — 773 1,185  
			 Maldives — — — — 3 — — 9 12  
			 Mauritius — 44 — — — — — — 44  
			 Mexico — — 68 1 4 — 2 77 151  
			 Morocco — 11 — — 6 — — — 17  
			 Netherlands — 178 — — — — — — 178  
			 Nigeria — — 148 — — — — — 148  
			 Oman 535 — 429 — 6 — — 35 1,005  
			 Pakistan — — — 10 10 — — 2 22  
			 Panama — — — 5 21 — — — 26  
			 Papua New Guinea — — — — — — — 36 36  
			 Peru — — — — — — — 1 1  
			 Philippines — 151 — — 21 2 — — 142 506  
			 Portugal — 46 — — 2 — — — 48  
			 Qatar 178 148 — — — — — — 326  
			 Romania 106 — — — 7 — — 86 199  
			 Russian Federation — 18 128 — 184 — — 82 412  
			 Saint Kitts and Nevis — — 7 6 — — 1 2 16  
			 Saint Lucia — — — — — — — — — 
			 Saudi Arabia 6,225 — — — 8 — — 13 6, 247  
			 Singapore 19 11 8 — — 10 — — 8 155  
			 Slovakia — — — — — — — — — 
			 South Africa 1 ,270 — 249 — — — — 84 1,603  
			 Sri Lanka — 129 — — 13 — — 23 165  
			 Sweden 4 171 — — — — — — 175  
			 Switzerland — 21 0 — — — — — — 210  
			 Syrian Arab Republic — — — — — — — — — 
			 Taiwan — 83 — — — — — 141 224  
			 Thailand 30 122 — — 76 — — 16 244  
			 Trinidad and Tobago — — — — 1 — — — 1  
			 Tunisia — 50 — — — — — — 51  
			 Turkey 253 70 33 23 25 — — 88 493  
			 United Arab Emirates 49 551 — — 18 — — 11 630  
			 United States 65 937 — — — — — 46 1,048  
			 Uzbekistan — 43 — — — — — 1 45  
			 Vanuatu — — — — 3 — — — 3  
			 Venezuela — 10 — 49 — — — 37 96  
			 Vietnam — 20 — — — — — 30 50  
			 Zimbabwe — — — — 77 — — 12 89  
			 Grand Total 10,115 5,480 1,43 1 230 1,226 46 60 3, 386 21,744

Ink Industry

Andrew MacKinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will ask the Competition Commission to investigate the share of Sun Chemicals, and its subsidiaries, in the printing ink industry within the United Kingdom.

Gerry Sutcliffe: holding answer 8 December 2003
	Decisions whether or not to investigate competition related matters are for the Office of Fair Trading.

Media Takeovers

Oliver Letwin: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make it her policy to ensure that, in relation to any takeover of a major national newspaper or media group, the procedures adopted by the regulatory authorities are transparent and impartial and that there is no ministerial involvement. [R]

Gerry Sutcliffe: holding answer 5 January 2004
	My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry published a consultation document on 15 December 2003 seeking views on draft guidance which she proposes to issue on the consideration of media public interest cases under the Enterprise Act 2002 (as amended by the Communications Act 2003). The new regime is substantially deregulatory compared to the old, with a small number of narrowly defined public interest considerations approved by Parliament.
	In relation to the newspaper public interest considerations (accurate presentation of news, free expression of opinion and plurality of views), new legislation recognises that, for newspapers, there have historically been a small number of cases that have raised public interest issues beyond those that would have been considered as part of a competition assessment. It therefore allows the Secretary of State to intervene in certain newspaper mergers on these public interest grounds. The draft guidance sets out some indications of the general approach she expects to adopt in deciding whether or not to intervene in a particular newspaper case. However each case will be decided on its own facts.
	In relation to the scope of the broadcasting and cross-media public interest considerations, whilst in principle the Secretary of State .may intervene on these public interest grounds in any media merger case where these considerations are relevant, the draft guidance notes that as a matter of policy she expects thatintervention on these public interest grounds will normally only be considered in those areas where media ownership rules have been removed by the Communications Act.
	The assessment of newspaper and other media mergers on competition grounds will be the responsibility of the competition authorities.
	All of the procedures for all parts of the process will be transparent and impartial. Copies of the consultation document have been placed in the House Libraries.

Patents

Adam Price: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many patents involving life forms have been granted in the last five years.

Stephen Timms: Within the five year period from the beginning of 1999 to the end of 2003, 233 UK patents were granted which relate to life forms in general. This includes 47 patents relating to higher life forms, such as plants or animals, of which 13 specifically relate to animals.

Post Office

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what criteria are used by the Post Office to define a community for the purposes of the network reinvention scheme.

Stephen Timms: The development of closure proposals under the urban reinvention programme is an operational matter for Post Office Ltd.
	The programme relates only to post office branches that are defined by Post Office Ltd. as 'urban'. I understand that the company classifies as urban any post office within a community of more than 10,000 inhabitants. The Post Office has carried out detailed planning to establish which of its branches should be classified as either rural or urban and has developed a geographical mapping computer model, which measures population in terms of contiguous or very close agglomeration. Thus where a number of villages or small communities adjoin each other or adjoin a larger town, and the aggregate population of the area exceeds 10,000, the model reflects that fact and classifies it as urban.

Post Office

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry which communities within the Hemsworth constituency are classified as urban, under the Post Office criteria.

Stephen Timms: I understand from Post Office Ltd that the following six post offices in the Hemsworth constituency are classified as urban, being located in communities of more than 10,000 residents:
	Kettlethorpe
	Moorthorpe, South Elmsall
	Sandal
	South Elmsall
	South Kirkby
	The Common, South Kirkby

Post Office

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what data source she has recommended that the Post Office use to determine whether a community has more than 10,000 inhabitants.

Stephen Timms: The decision to classify a post office branch as urban or rural is an operational matter for Post Office Ltd. I understand that the company uses a sophisticated geographical mapping model called the Geographic Information System (GIS) in conjunction with a number of external and internal data sets including census data and Ordnance Survey data.

Posting of Workers Directive

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment she has made of the effect that the Government stance on the Posted Workers Directive is having on (a) the job prospects for British workers in the United Kingdom and (b) the wage levels of migrant workers in the United Kingdom; and if she will make a statement.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The UK fully implemented the Posting of Workers Directive in 1999, providing all workers temporarily posted to the UK from another state with certain minimum conditions of employment as laid down by law. We have no reason to believe that its implementation has adversely affected the job prospects of British workers in the UK. Unemployment in the UK fell from 5.9 per cent. in the three months ending October 1999 to 5.0 per cent. in the three months ending October 2003 (ILO Unemployment Figure, Labour Force Survey, ONS).
	UK employment rights are applicable to all workers, regardless of country of origin, so migrant workers are protected in the same way as other workers by the National Minimum Wage.

Shareholder Participation

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps the Government is taking to encourage shareholders to vote at the Annual General meetings of FTSE All-Share companies.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The Government regards shareholder voting at company meetings as an integral part of shareholder engagement with the companies in which they invest.
	We fully support the continuing work of the Shareholder Voting Working Group, which has recently embarked upon a new project to identify, and propose practical solutions to, the impediments to casting proxy votes successfully at company meetings. The objective is for there to be a noticeable improvement in time for the 2004 AGM voting season.
	The Government has already enabled shareholders, through the Companies Act 1985 (Electronic Communications) Order 2000 implemented in December 2000, to use electronic communications to appoint a proxy. This enables shareholders to issue voting instructions electronically. As stated in our White Paper in July 2002, we also propose to introduce legislative measures to improve the rights of proxies. This will enable investors and others holding shares through intermediaries to ensure more easily that the voting rights in a company are exercised.

Shareholder Participation

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the Government's target is for average voting levels by shareholders in Annual General meetings for companies in the FTSE All-Share index; and what the average voting levels were in each of the last five years.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The Government regards voting at company meetings as an integral part of shareholder engagement with the companies in which they invest. The Government believes that it is the responsibility of all those involved in the voting process to ensure that it works effectively, in order that shareholders have confidence that their voting intentions are registered at company meetings.
	The Government does not collect data on shareholder voting levels centrally. Such information is available from a variety of sources, and shows that shareholder voting has increased gradually over the past five years, and now stands at around 53 per cent.

Small Business

Robert Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many of the portfolio companies receiving Regional Venture Capital Funds have been Small Business Service SMART award winners.

Nigel Griffiths: The fund managers do not collect this information.

Solar Power

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many (a) individuals and (b) registered companies have applied for grants under the Clear Skies Initiative as a result of including solar power in their home design.

Stephen Timms: The information is as follows:
	(a) Currently, 1,445 applications for solar hot water heating systems have been received and 1,368 have been accepted, with a total grant value of £684,000.
	(b) For community/not-for-profit organisations, 90 applications have been received and 67 projects have been offered grants totalling £955,766.02 for the installation of solar hot water heating systems.

Solar Power

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many homes in the United Kingdom have solar panels.

Stephen Timms: The DTI does not keep a record of all solar installations but according to figures from the Building Research Establishment there are approximately 60,000 solar thermal systems installed in the UK.
	We estimate that approximately 1,000 homes currently have PV installed.

Solar Power

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much money has been spent under the Clear Skies Initiative on grants to homebuilders that include solar power in their home design.

Stephen Timms: The Clear Skies initiative offers grants only to individual householders and community/not-for-profit organisations. No grants have been given directly to homebuilders.

Solar Power

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps her Department is taking to encourage the use of solar energy cells.

Stephen Timms: The DTI is supporting the demonstration of photovoltaics (PV) in housing and large public buildings through the Domestic Field Trial (DFT) and Large Scale Field Trial (LSFT). A combined budget of £10 million is supporting the installation and monitoring of PV systems in around 500 houses (30 projects) and 12–15 large-scale public buildings. The Field Trials aim to raise awareness of PV technology, create confidence in its applications, and provide opportunities for the UK photovoltaics industry.
	The Government is committed to a major initiative with industry and others to achieve a UK solar PV demonstration programme in line with our main competitors. The current programme, which started in April 2002 and is worth £20 million over three years, is the first stage of this process. At the halfway stage, over half the funding has been allocated.
	The DTI is also putting effort into removing a number of barriers to the deployment of very small generators, such as PV. These include reduction of VAT to 5 per cent. for professionally installed systems, a new PV Annex to Planning Policy Guidance Note (PPG22), simplified connection agreements to the local network (G77 and G83/1) and Installer Training and Accreditation Schemes. In addition, the Government plans to amend the Renewables Obligation to enable very small generators like PV to accumulate their production over a year, rather than a month, so as to qualify for ROCs.

MINISTER FOR WOMEN

Female Prison Population

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Minister for Women what recent discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for the Home Department on the female prison population.

Jacqui Smith: I have had no recent meetings with the Secretary of State for the Home Office on this subject.

Flexible Working

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Minister for Women what assessment has been made of the take-up by women of the right to request flexible working.

Jacqui Smith: Preliminary evidence, including hits on the DTI working parents website and requests for guidance, indicate that interest in the right to request flexible working by mothers, and fathers, is high. We recently published the top 10 questions asked by employees when calling the Acas helpline, and continue to gather evidence from a wide number of sources to build up a clear picture of the demand for, and uptake of, the new law.
	The Department undertook an employee Work-Life Balance survey in 2003 as a baseline for comparison with a repeat survey due in 2005. The results will contribute to the review of the law that the Government are committed to initiate in 2006. Preliminary employee findings are available on the internet, www.dti.gov.uk/er/emar/, and we are expecting to publish the full report soon.
	We are working with key intermediaries, such as Working Families and Maternity Alliance, who are collating data through member/supporter surveys. These organisations are due to report their findings to coincide with the first anniversary of the new law to request flexible working in April this year. We are also working with Prima Baby magazine which is carrying out a reader survey, and aims to publish the results in the March edition.
	The Department has also commissioned questions on flexible working which currently appear in the Office of National Statistics monthly Omnibus survey. The results of these can be made gender specific and will be available in spring 2004.

Gender Equality

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Minister for Women 
	(1)  what plans she has to introduce a public sector duty to promote gender equality;
	(2)  what assessment has been made of the need for a public sector duty to promote gender equality.

Jacqui Smith: The Government are taking forward a significant legislative agenda on equality matters, and they have committed themselves to introduce a duty on public bodies to promote equality of opportunity for women and men generally when parliamentary time allows. In taking this forward, the Government will be considering the experience gained with the duty to promote race equality introduced in the Race Relations (Amendment) Act (2000).

Pregnancy Discrimination

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Minister for Women what steps are being taken to tackle pregnancy discrimination in the workplace.

Jacqui Smith: Discrimination on the ground of pregnancy or maternity is a form of direct discrimination on the ground of sex. The courts have interpreted the Sex Discrimination Act as meaning that discrimination on the ground that a woman is, or might become, pregnant is unlawful. This is reinforced by the amended Equal Treatment Directive published on 5 October 2002 which says that less favourable treatment on the grounds of pregnancy and maternity within the meaning of the Pregnant Workers Directive constitutes sex discrimination.
	In 1999, the Government introduced specific protections to prevent women from suffering detriment and from being unfairly dismissed or selected for redundancy for reasons connected with their pregnancy, childbirth or maternity leave. We have also ensured a woman has a clear right to return to her job after maternity leave, on the same terms and conditions as if she had not been away.

PRIME MINISTER

Iraq

Llew Smith: To ask the Prime Minister whether he or his officials have examined the transcript of the interview given by the Head of the Coalition Provisional Authority in Iraq, on the Dimbleby Programme on 28 December 2003, with particular reference to Mr. Bremer's comments on Iraqi weapons of mass destruction; and whether he discussed Iraqi weapons of mass destruction with Mr. Bremer in his meeting with him in Basra on 4 January.

Tony Blair: I follow developments in Iraq closely. When I saw Ambassador Bremer in Basra on 4 January, we had a wide-ranging discussion of the challenges facing us in Iraq, including the political process, reconstruction and the security situation.

WORK AND PENSIONS

Incapacity Benefit

Jane Griffiths: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will make it his policy to credit full-time students with National Insurance contributions in order to provide eligibility for incapacity benefit if they become ill.

Maria Eagle: Special provisions allow young sick and disabled people, who have not had the opportunity to work and build up a contribution record, to qualify for Incapacity Benefit (IB). Since 6 April 2001 young people who become incapable of work before age 20, or before age 25 if in education or training before age 20, may receive IB without satisfying the contribution conditions.

Pension Credit

David Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people have called the Pension Credit Helpline more than once since April, broken down by number of people making each number of calls.

Malcolm Wicks: The information is not currently available in the form requested.

Pension Credit

David Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many individuals received savings credit in the last period for which figures are available, broken down by declared savings of (a) less than £6,000, (b) between £6,000 and £10,000, (c) between £10,001 and £15,000, (d) between £15,001 to £30,000 and (e) over £30,000.

Malcolm Wicks: The information is not currently available in the form requested.

Pension Credit

David Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many households have received savings credit awards since 6 October, broken down by awards of (a) less than £5 a week, (b) between £5 and £10 a week, (c) between £10 and £15 a week and (d) over £15 a week.

Malcolm Wicks: Up to 30 November 2003 there were 193,000 awards of pension credit where the savings credit only is payable. Of these, (a) 41,000 were of less than £5.00 per week, (b) 59,000 were of between £5.00 and £10.00 per week and (c) 92,000 were of over £10.00 per week. In addition, there were 83,000 awards where both savings credit and guarantee credit are payable.
	Notes: 1. Figures are currently available only for the three bands to which the reply refers. 2. Figures have been rounded to the nearest thousand. 3. Figures might not sum due to rounding. 4. A monetary breakdown for households receiving both savings credit and guarantee credit will not be available until the November 2003 Quarterly Statistical Enquiry is published on 17 March 2004.

Pensioners (Hemsworth)

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many pensioners in Hemsworth constituency are in receipt of pension credit.

Malcolm Wicks: I refer my hon. Friend to the written statement made by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State (Andrew Smith) on 10 December 2003, Official Report, column 90WS, and to the accompanying tables placed in the Library.

Pension Schemes

David Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many pension schemes have started the winding-up process in each quarter since 2001; and how many pension scheme members have been affected each quarter, broken down by (a) pensioners and (b) people who had not retired when the winding-up began.

Malcolm Wicks: The Pensions Schemes Registry, administered by the Occupational Pension Schemes Regulatory Authority (OPRA), holds information on the number of pension schemes which are currently in the winding up process. Figures showing the number of schemes that have entered winding up each quarter since 2001 and have not yet completed winding up are contained in the table, along with the number of members in those schemes.
	It is not possible to break these figures down by pensioner and pre-retirement numbers, as the registry only provides data on total membership numbers.
	
		Schemes that have started winding up in the relevant period and have not yet completed winding up
		
			  All scheme types Defined-Benefit schemesonly 
			 Quarterbeginning Number of schemes Number of members Number of schemes Number of members 
		
		
			 1 January 2001 423 11,365 44 4,744 
			 1 April 2001 699 19,829 94 11,827 
			 1 July 2001 443 18,138 70 10,805 
			 1 October 2001 384 17,782 64 10,988 
			 1 January 2002 511 15,760 66 9,610 
			 1 April 2002 327 16,245 53 9,745 
			 1 July 2002 394 14,674 54 9,735 
			 1 October 2002 426 28,340 90 15,232 
			 1 January 2003 451 18,877 59 8,118 
			 1 April 2003 375 17,024 46 7,472 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. The table does not contain schemes that started winding up in the time period given and have since completed wind up. The Pensions Schemes Registry only records the present status of a scheme so only those winding up at the moment are captured. This is unlikely to bias the figures extensively as the winding up process can take many years to complete, particularly for large firms.
	2. The "All scheme type" column contains Defined-Contribution, Hybrid and Unknown Type schemes as well as Defined-Benefit schemes.
	3. A winding up scheme is one which has notified OPRA that it has commenced winding up procedures.
	4. Schemes have up to 12 months to notify OPRA of any status change, so the data for the current year is provisional.
	5. Data is not available for periods after the quarter beginning 1 April 2003.

State Pension

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will estimate the annual cost to the Exchequer, net of savings in means-tested benefits and additional income tax revenue, of paying state pensions in full at the rate of a Category A pension to every UK pensioner aged (a) 80 or over and (b) 75 or over, regardless of their contribution record.

Malcolm Wicks: The annual cost to the Exchequer from April 2004, net of savings in income related benefits and additional income tax revenue, of paying the state pension in full at the rate of a Category A pension to every UK pensioner aged:
	(a) 80 or over is £0.66 billion
	(b) 75 or over is £1.20 billion
	1. Figures are in 2003–04 price terms rounded to the nearest £10 million.
	2. Gross costs are estimated by the Government Actuary's Department and are consistent with Budget 2003 assumptions.
	3. The additional costs take into account income related benefit offsets, which are calculated using the DWP policy simulation model and April 2004 benefit rates.
	4. Additional income tax revenue is estimated by the Inland Revenue using 2004 tax rates

Recruitment Advertisements

Julie Kirkbride: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much has been spent on recruitment advertisements in the press, broken down by publication, by (a) his Department, (b) quangos under the Department and (c) non-departmental Government bodies under the Department (i) in the last year and (ii) since 1997.

Maria Eagle: Information about recruitment advertising costs is not collected centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

HEALTH

Alzheimer's Disease

John Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how much the NHS spent on anticholinesterase inhibitors for people with Alzheimer's disease in each year since 1997;
	(2)  what steps are being taken to ensure that people in long-term care with Alzheimer's disease are assessed for use of anticholinesterase inhibitors;
	(3)  what plans he has to re-issue guidance to trusts to ensure that local decisions about whether to prescribe Ebixa on the NHS for people with moderate to severe Alzheimer's disease are not postponed in the absence of guidance from the National Institute for Clinical Excellence.

Stephen Ladyman: holding answer 18 December 2003
	The number of prescription items dispensed in the community for drugs for dementia and the associated net ingredient cost, for each year since 1997, are shown in the table. Information is not collected about the number and costs of drugs for dementia dispensed in acute and mental health trusts.
	
		Number of prescription items and the associated net ingredient cost for drugs for dementia, dispensed in the community in England, 1997 to September 2003
		
			 Drugs for dementia April to December 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 January to September 2003 
		
		
			  Net ingredient cost (£000) 
			 BNF chemical name
			 Donepezil Hydrochloride 656.8 1,919.2 2,917.4 4,178.2 8,815.3 16,078.3 16,829.7 
			 Galantamine — — — 13.6 880.2 2,469.9 2,834.8 
			 Memantine Hydrochloride — — — — — 21.1 392.9 
			 Rivastigmine — 29.2 297.0 681.0 1,309.2 1,997.9 2,262.3 
			 All drugs for dementia 656.8 1,948.4 3,214.4 4,872.8 11,004.6 20,567.1 22,319.8 
			 
			  Number of prescription items (Thousand) 
			 Donepezil Hydrochloride 7.2 20.2 30.4 43.6 91.2 169.3 181.3 
			 Galantamine — — — 0.2 11.3 31.1 36.2 
			 Memantine Hydrochloride — — — — — 0.3 4.7 
			 Rivastigmine  0.4 4.2 9.9 19.7 30.5 32.3 
			 All drugs for dementia 7.2 20.7 34.6 53.8 122.1 231.3 254.5 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. The prescription information was obtained from the Prescription Cost Analysis (PCA) system and is based on a full analysis of all prescriptions dispensed in the community, i.e. by community pharmacists and appliance contractors, dispensing doctors, and prescriptions submitted by prescribing doctors for items personally administered in England. Total prescriptions include not only prescriptions originating from general medical practitioners in England but also from hospital doctors, nurses, and dentists, provided they were dispensed in the community. Also included are prescriptions written in Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland and the Isle of Man but dispensed in England. The data do not cover drugs dispensed in hospital or private prescriptions.
	2. Drugs for dementia are those defined in the British National Formulary (BNF) section 4.11.
	3. The Net Ingredient Cost refers to the cost (which the dispenser is reimbursed) of the drug before discounts and does not include any dispensing costs or fees. It does not include any adjustment for income obtained where a prescription charge is paid at the time the prescription is dispensed, or where the patient has purchased a pre-payment certificate.
	People in long-term care with Alzheimer's disease have the same access to drugs for dementia as people living elsewhere. If appropriate, those involved in their care will refer them as necessary for assessment by specialist mental health teams.
	In August 1999 the Department issued Health Service Circular 1999/176 which asks national health service bodies to continue with local arrangements for the managed introduction of new technologies where guidance from the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) is not available. These arrangements should involve an assessment of all the available evidence. Funding for treatments, such as Ebixa, should not be withheld simply because of an absence of guidance from NICE.

Autism

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many children in (a) England and (b) Wales have been diagnosed with autism on the latest date for which figures are available.

Stephen Ladyman: Details of the number of children diagnosed with autism are not available. The Medical Research Council (MRC) published a comprehensive review of autism research in December 2001 which provides an authoritative overview of the current state of knowledge on the prevalence, incidence and causes of autism. The report was commissioned by the Department of Health. It is available on the MRC website at: http://www.mrc.ac.uk/pdf-autism-report.pdf
	The report says that according to recent reviews, there appears fairly good agreement that autism spectrum disorders affect approximately 60, and more narrowly defined autism 10–30 per 10,000 children under eight.
	In February 2002, we allocated a further £2.5 million to the MRC to help them to take forward their programme of work on autism. Between December 2002 and July 2003, the MRC held a series of four seminars to encourage the development of good quality applications for autism research funding. Topics covered in the seminars were gut and the developing child; brain and mind (neuropsychology and neuroimaging); autism in populations and outcome measures for interventions in children and adults. On 11 July 2003, the MRC held the first of their annual fora for autism research "Breaking barriers, building bridges", in conjunction with the National Autistic Society, to bring together ideas stimulated by the previous four seminars.
	The MRC will be taking decisions on the allocation of research project funding for further autism studies in early 2004.
	Questions on the numbers of autistic children in Wales are a matter for the National Assembly for Wales.

Blood Products

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what the Government's objective was in purchasing an American blood bank; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what factors led to the Government's decision to purchase an American blood bank; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  what comparisons he has made between the safety of blood available from the American blood bank it has purchased and blood available in the UK; and if he will make a statement.

Melanie Johnson: On 17 December 2002, following thorough options analysis work and detailed market research, the Department purchased the largest remaining independent United States plasma collector Life Resources Incorporated. The objective was to secure long-term supplies of non-United Kingdom blood plasma to ensure that the global plasma shortage would not reduce the availability to National Health Service patients of life-saving plasma products such as immunoglobulins and clotting factors. Large volumes of plasma are required for medicinal product manufacture, especially immunoglobulm.
	The NHS has been using US-sourced plasma since 1998 because of the unknown and unquantifiable risk of transmission of vCJD through blood. At the time Life Resources Inc. was purchased, the US had no reported cases of BSE or CJD and was the only country able to supply the quality and quantity of plasma required. The US also has a well-established pool of donors, a well-regulated environment and a developed collection industry. The Government are aware of the one case of BSE reported in the US and considers this to be a negligible risk to the safety of the blood supply. This case is not in itself a reason to alter current arrangements but we will continue to monitor the situation closely.
	It is standard in both the UK and the US that, in addition to screening donors for the major blood borne viruses of HIV, Hepatitis B and C, all blood products are heat treated or chemically treated to remove any viral contamination that may have escaped the screening process.
	In the UK, expert advice is that if vCJD is transmissible through blood, the infection is most likely to be contained in the white cells and plasma. As a precautionary measure, we instituted universal leucodepletion (removal of the white cells) of all blood for transfusion from 31 October 1999.

Blood Products

Jane Griffiths: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidance his Department gives to the National Blood Service on the questions which may be asked of potential blood donors; and if he will make a statement.

Melanie Johnson: The National Blood Authority (NBA) undertakes a rigorous selection of blood donors as the first step in ensuring the safety of the blood supply. The questionnaire and accompanying interview of potential blood donors have been developed to elicit appropriate information relevant to donation. There are two important aims, which are to ensure as far as possible that the donated blood is safe for transfusion to patients and that blood donation is not detrimental to the donor's health.
	Donors are accepted or deferred on the basis of the information they give the NBA using the United Kingdom donor selection guidelines developed by the Joint UK Blood Transfusion Services and National Institute of Biological Standards and Control which are used throughout the UK. All donors are asked to read a blood safety leaflet, which outlines key lifestyle risk factors.
	The donor selection procedures and questions used in the UK are in line with the recommendations of the Council of Europe and will be in line with the proposed European Union Directive 2002/98/EC (Article 29) on setting standards of quality and safety for the collection, testing, processing, storage and distribution of human blood and blood components.

Blood Products

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how many pints of (a) blood and (b) plasma were used by the NHS in each of the last five years;
	(2)  how much donated blood was used in (a) cancer operations and (b) transfusions in each of the last five years.

Melanie Johnson: holding answer 5 January 2004
	Information on the number of units of blood and plasma used by the national health service in the last five years is not collected centrally.

Blood Products

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the main uses are to which donated blood is put; and what proportion of donated blood was discarded in each of the last five years.

Melanie Johnson: holding answer 5 January 2004
	Approximately half of red cell transfusions are used for medicinal purposes including anaemia, haematology and gastro-intestinal bleeding. The remaining half is used mainly in surgery, but also in obstetrics and gynaecology.
	Figures provided by the National Blood Authority (NBA) show the proportion of red blood cells that the NBA has discarded over the last three years.
	
		Percentage
		
			  Time expired Collection discards Testing related discards Breakages and leaks discard Processing discards Total 
		
		
			 2000–01 0.1 2.8 1.3 0.6 1.2 6.0 
			 2001–02 0.2 2.6 1.2 0.5 1.4 5.9 
			 2002–03 0.5 2.6 1.3 0.6 1.1 6.1 
		
	
	The NBA does not have data for previous years.
	The NBA strives to hold enough stocks of blood to meet extra or excess demand for blood in the event of any emergencies or major incidents.

Blood Products

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many pints of blood have been donated in each of the last five years.

Melanie Johnson: holding answer 5 January 2004
	Figures in the table supplied by the National Blood Authority show number of units of blood donated in each of the last five years.
	
		
			  Number of units donated 
		
		
			 1998–99 2,389,622 
			 1999–2000 2,427,052 
			 2000–01 2,357,568 
			 2001–02 2,379,784 
			 2002–03 2,332,371

Child Mental Health

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the prevalence of mental health problems is in children aged (a) five to 10, (b) 11 to 15 and (c) 16 to 19 in England, broken down by gender.

Stephen Ladyman: Information is not available in the form requested. The tables show the prevalence of mental disorders in young people aged five to 15 years and neurotic disorder in young people 16 to 19 years.
	
		Prevalence of mental disorders among five to 15-year-olds -- Percentage
		
			  Five to 10 years 11 to 15 years 
		
		
			 Boys 10.4 12.8 
			 Girls 5.9 9.6 
			 All children 8.2 11.2 
		
	
	Source:
	Office for National Statistics survey—Mental health of children and adolescents in Great Britain (2000)
	
		Prevalence of neurotic disorder among 16 to 19-year-olds -- Percentage
		
			  16 to 19-year-olds 
		
		
			 Men 8.6 
			 Women 19.2 
			 All adults 13.3 
		
	
	Source:
	Office for National Statistics survey—Psychiatric morbidity among adults living in private households (2000)

Dentists

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the reasons for the change in the number of (a) adults and (b) children registered with a dentist in the last three years.

Rosie Winterton: Adult registrations in the general dental service fell by 160,000 in the three years between September 2000 and September 2003 from 16.81 million to 16.65 million, a fall of 1.0 per cent. Children's registrations fell by 170,000 from 6.84 million to 6.67 million, a fall of 2.5 per cent.
	During the same period, there has been an increase in National Health Service dental services provided by the personal dental services; the number of patients increased by 340,000 in the three years between 1999–2000 and 2002–03.
	Some of the drop in registration numbers is due to improved procedures at the Dental Practice Board in removing duplicate patient records.
	General population figures are not yet available for this period on a consistent basis that is based on the 2001 Census. However it is estimated that between 2001 and 2002 the adult population in England rose by 0.5 per cent. with the children's population falling by 0.4 per cent.
	We recognise that dentists in some areas have reduced their NHS commitment and there has been considerable dissatisfaction since 1992 with remuneration system which is now seen as a disincentive to provide NHS dental care. Proposals in the Health and Social Care (Community Health and Standards) Act 2003 will underpin a modernised, high-quality primary dental service provided through contracts between primary care trusts and dental practices and properly integrated with the rest of the NHS providing better access to services and an improved patient experience. With these new responsibilities will go the £1.2 billion resources currently held centrally.

Diabetes (Amputations)

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the cost of amputations due to diabetes was in each year since 1996 in (a) England and (b) each strategic health authority; how many people in each case have had amputations due to diabetes in each year since 1996; and what assessment his Department has made of the proportion of amputations due to diabetes that could have been prevented.

Rosie Winterton: Data on the cost of lower limb amputations is not collected in the format requested. The table shows how many lower-limb amputations were performed in the years 1996–2003 in national health service hospital trusts in England.
	
		Primary Diagnosis Diabetes (ICD10 codes E10-E14), With main operation of Lower Limb Amputation (OPCS4 codes X09-X11), Finished Consultant Episodes (FCEs) -- NHS hospital trusts in England, 1996–97 to 2002–03
		
			  Amputation of: 
			  Leg (X09) Foot (X10) Toe (X11) Total 
		
		
			 1996–97 914 154 921 1,989 
			 1997–98 79 476 634 1,189 
			 1998–99 89 490 660 1,239 
			 1999–2000 120 504 677 1,301 
			 2000–01 97 457 621 1,175 
			 2001–02 434 100 596 1,130 
			 2002–03 384 115 621 1,120 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. An FCE is defined as a period of patient care under one consultant in one health care provider. The figures do not represent the number of patients, as one person may have several episodes within the year.
	2. The main operation is the first of four operation fields in the HES data set, and is usually the most resource intensive procedure performed during the episode.
	3. The primary diagnosis is the first of seven diagnosis fields in the HES data set, and provides the main reason why the patient was in hospital.
	4. Data in this table are adjusted for both coverage and unknown/invalid clinical data, except for 2001–02 and 2002–03 which are not yet adjusted for shortfalls.
	5. 2002–03 data are provisional and subject to change.
	Source:
	Hospital Episode Statistics (HES), Department of Health.
	The Department of Health's Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) system provides information on in-patient care in England. With the clinical information given by hospital providers it is not possible to determine how many amputations due to diabetes could have been prevented. The national service framework for diabetes standards document noted that all people with diabetes should receive high-quality care throughout their lifetime, including support to optimise the control of blood glucose, blood pressure and other risk factors for developing the complications of diabetes. The standards document also noted that the impact of microvascular complications could be reduced if they are detected and treated at an early stage and states that all young people and adults with diabetes should receive regular surveillance for the long-term complications of diabetes.

Health Development Agency

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the (a) budget allocations and (b) actual spending of the Health Development Agency in each year since 2000.

Melanie Johnson: The information requested is shown in the following table.
	
		Health development agency allocations and expenditure(12) -- £000
		
			  2000–01(13) 2001–02 2002–03 
		
		
			 Total Allocations/Income from Government Sources(14) 11,288 12,261 11,015 
			 Net resource outturn(15) 11,462 11,960 11,024 
		
	
	(12) Information taken from HDA published accounts.
	(13) The 2000–01 figures used are as per the 2001–02 accounts (restated as a comparator).
	(14) Total expenditure may exceed the allocation or other payments to the HDA from Government because the HDA may earn income from other sources to cover that expenditure.
	(15) Net Resource Outturn is the Operating Cost less other Income. This does not include Capital interest charges.

Healthy Living Programmes

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to evaluate New Opportunity-funded healthy living programmes; and what arrangements have been made to ensure that the lessons from such evaluations are disseminated.

Melanie Johnson: The New Opportunities Fund is supporting a number of healthy living programmes, each of which will be formally evaluated. The Department of Health will study the evaluation findings carefully, and will work with the New Opportunities Fund to help ensure that lessons learned are effectively disseminated.
	In addition, the Department of Health has commissioned its own evaluation of the health living centre programme through the Tavistock Institute against key health priorities such as cancer and coronary heart disease prevention. The Institute will be encouraged to publish their findings and the Health Development Agency will incorporate the findings into evidence and practice reviews.

Maternity Units

John Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to his Answer of 15 December, Official Report, column 772W, on maternity services, to what extent women are able to choose whether they will be seen in a midwifery-led maternity unit; and what effect the policy of their local health authority has on choice.

Stephen Ladyman: We expect midwife led maternity care to be one of the options available to women and their families. A woman's decision to give birth in a midwife led unit should be a matter for informed discussion between the woman and the health professionals responsible for providing her care.
	It is up to local health organisations, working with their communities and other local partners, to provide high quality maternity services that are both as safe and as accessible as possible to women and their families.

Maternity Units

John Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether it is the Government's policy that women should be able to choose to be treated in a midwife-led maternity unit.

Stephen Ladyman: It is Government policy that women should be able to choose to have midwife led maternity care. A woman's decision to give birth in a midwife led maternity unit should be a matter for informed discussion between the woman and the health professionals responsible for providing her care.

Parliamentary Questions

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he will reply to the questions from the hon. Member for Sutton and Cheam, tabled on 1 December, references 140640 and 140642.

Stephen Ladyman: I replied to the hon. Member's questions on Monday 5 January.

PET Scans

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what price is paid for each dose of radioactive, positron tracers used by each PET scanner centre.

Melanie Johnson: The costs of isotope production are dependent on a number of factors, including whether the production is on a commercial basis and the costs of transportation to the Positron Emission Tomography (PET) centre. However, a report of the Intercollegiate Standing Committee on Nuclear Medicine, published by the Royal College of Physicians in January 2003, details that typical costs are around £315 for each dose of tracer.

PET Scans

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what assessment he has made of the benefits of PET scans;
	(2)  if he will list the most common uses of PET scans;
	(3)  what plans he has to expand the provision of PET scanners over the next five years.

Melanie Johnson: Positron Emission Tomography (PET) scanning enables highly sensitive and specific functional imaging of metabolic processes involved in oncology, cardiology and neurology. It holds particular promise for cancer services.
	In response to requests from National Health Service and research stakeholders the Department of Health will shortly publish a framework for PET scanning for consultation. This framework will enable the NHS to develop a clear national policy position which will set out, from the evidence, which tumour groups would benefit from PET scanning, likely future demand, and the optimal configuration and location of PET scanners. This would ensure that access to PET facilities was available to patients from all cancer networks and that high quality research could also be undertaken on the future applications of PET.

PET Scans

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the number of PET scanners per head of the population in (a) England and (b) other EU countries.

Melanie Johnson: There are five Positron Emission Tomography (PET) scanners operating in the national health service in England. The Department has made no assessment of the relative numbers of PET scanners in England and other European Union countries.

PET Scans

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the cost of each PET scan to the NHS was in each of the five centres operating PET scanners in the last 12 months.

Melanie Johnson: The cost of each Positron Emission Tomography (PET) scan depends on a number of factors, such as the condition the patient is being scanned for, the type of isotope used, transportation costs and the isotope supplier. This information is not held centrally.

PET Scans

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many staff are (a) trained to operate PET scanners and (b) work in PET scanner departments in the NHS.

Melanie Johnson: A number of professional staff are needed to run a Positron Emission Tomography (PET) facility. These include radiographers/nuclear medicine technicians; consultant radiologist/physicians, medical physicists, medical physics technicians; radiochemists and; radiopharmacy technicians.
	Figures on numbers of staff trained to operate or work in PET scanner departments are not collected centrally.

PET Scans

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many PET scans were carried out in each of the last five years funded (a) privately and (b) by the NHS.

Melanie Johnson: The numbers of Positron Emission Tomography (PET) scans carried out each year varies from centre to centre and this information is not held centrally.

Public Health

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether each (a) region, (b) strategic health authority and (c) primary care trust has a director of public health post and whether the post is filled in each case.

Melanie Johnson: The information requested has been placed in the Library.

Public Health

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the arrangements are for ensuring that in every part of England an annual report on the health of the population is produced by a director of public health.

Melanie Johnson: The 2003–06 Planning and Priorities Framework issued by the Department of Health requires service planning in the national health service to be supported by an annual public health report by the Director of Public Health. Strategic health authorities are responsible for ensuring compliance with, and delivery of, the framework.

Public Health

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his policy is on recruitment of chief executives of the Public Health Laboratory Service, with particular reference to the merits of recruiting (a) deputy chief medical officers and (b) microbiologists with experience of clinical practice.

Melanie Johnson: The Public Health Laboratory Service (PHLS) is a non-departmental public body (NDPB) with a board which appoints its own chief executive, in the same way as other NDPBs and in accordance with Cabinet Office guidance.

Public Health

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will place in the Library a copy of the results of the Public Health Skills Audit referred to in the Department's memorandum of evidence to the Health Committee inquiry into public health.

Melanie Johnson: The report of the Skills Audit has been placed in the Library.

Respiratory Disease

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the extent to which children under five years with respiratory problems are misdiagnosed with asthma.

Stephen Ladyman: The information requested is not collected centrally.

Respiratory Disease

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many finished consultant episodes there have been for respiratory syncytial virus in (a) England, (b) each NHS region and (c) each strategic health authority in each year since 1996, broken down by age.

Stephen Ladyman: The information that is available has been placed in the Library.

Ritalin

Patsy Calton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many young people (a) under 11 and (b) over 11 have been prescribed Ritalin by a health authority in each of the last five years.

Stephen Ladyman: Information is not available in the form requested. However the figures in the table following show the total number of prescription items of methylphenidate hydrochloride dispensed in the community in England in each of the last five years. The majority of prescription items of methylphenidate hydrochloride are for the brand Ritalin.
	
		Number of prescription items of methylphenidate hydrochloride dispensed in the community in England—1998 to 2002 -- Thousand
		
			  Total 
		
		
			 1998 126.6 
			 1999 158.0 
			 2000 186.2 
			 2001 208.5 
			 2002 254.0 
		
	
	Source:
	Prescription Cost Analysis data from the Prescription Pricing Authority
	In 2002, around 91 per cent. of the 254,000 prescription items were dispensed in the community to children (children under 16 and young people aged 16 to 18 in full time education). An estimated 1 per cent. of the items were dispensed to people aged 60 and over with the remainder being dispensed to other adults. These proportions have been similar in recent years.

Ritalin

Patsy Calton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the long-term effects of Ritalin.

Stephen Ladyman: Ritalin is indicated as a part of a comprehensive treatment programme for attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children over six years of age where remedial measures alone prove insufficient. In October 2000 the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) published an appraisal of the use of the drug methylphenidate (main brand name Ritalin) in the treatment of childhood ADHD and issued clinical guidelines for its use, including the need for regular monitoring of children receiving this therapy. NICE recommended long-term follow-up of adverse effects and the potential for misuse of the drug in assessing long-term benefits and health gain into adulthood.
	As with all medicines, the safety of methylphenidate is continually monitored by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency and the independent advisory body the Committee on the Safety of Medicines. Comprehensive information on the use of methylphenidate, including possible side effects, contraindications and precautions is contained in the summary of product characteristics produced by the manufacturer and approved by the licensing authority.

Smoking

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will set out for each year of the programme the (a) total number of people who took part in smoking cessation programmes and (b) number of four week quitters; and what assessment he has made of the number and proportion of four week quitters who subsequently recommenced smoking.

Melanie Johnson: We do not have the information in the form requested.
	The table shows the number of people setting a quit date through the national health service stop smoking services, and the number of those who remain quit at four week follow up.
	
		People setting a quit date and outcome at four weeks (based on self report) England 1999–2000 to Q1 2003–04
		
			  Number setting a quit date Number successful (self report) 
		
		
			 1999–2000 14,598 5,760 
			 2000–01 132,544 64,554 
			 2001–02 227,335 119,834 
			 2002–03 234,858 124,082 
			 Q1 2003–04 April-June 64,691 33,926 
		
	
	Source:
	Department of Health Smoking Cessation Monitoring Returns
	The monitoring of the NHS stop smoking services establishes success four weeks after the client's quit date. This method was chosen as a viable, practical way to ascertain initial success.
	Smoking is an addictive behaviour and it is difficult for smokers to stop. From the evidence of clinical trials, we expect that around 65 per cent., of clients successful at four weeks will relapse to smoking. The Department of Health has commissioned a research project to investigate further the success of the NHS Stop Smoking Services in helping smokers to stop in the longer-term. This is due to report in the new year.
	The huge health benefit from smokers stopping means that services, such as the NHS stop smoking services, are highly cost effective.

Strategic Health Authorities

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will set out for each Strategic Health Authority the (a) budget and (b) spending on (i) language support, (ii) interpreting services and (iii) ethnic monitoring in 2002–03.

Melanie Johnson: The information requested is not collected centrally.
	The NHS Plan sets out a commitment to make available a national translation and interpreting service through NHS Direct. NHS Direct is currently involved in procuring a national interpreting and translation service by March 2004. This will provide access for all national health service organisations to a telephone-based interpretation and translation service. Information on the costs of local arrangements for language support and interpreting services cannot be disaggregated in the financial returns.
	The Department has made a commitment to the collection of ethnic origin information using the 2001 Census categories for all statistical data sets collected from the national health service for England.
	While the Department has promoted ethnic monitoring in response to the Race Relations (Amendment) Act 2000 (and highlighted examples of good practice), the collection of ethnic data is largely incorporated as additional data items within existing collections, to minimise both the burden and cost related to the collection of such information on the NHS. This is consistent with the Department's procedures to ensure that the value of all centrally collected information fully justifies the burden and cost it places on those who provide it.

"Valuing People"

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to his answer of 8 December 2003, Official Report, column 320W, on Valuing People, if he will list the other centrally funded projects which were funded through the £3.3 million.

Stephen Ladyman: The unused £3.3 million capital was not directly transferred from the Learning Disability Development Fund to another project. It contributed to the overall budget available for other capital projects, which were delivered in 2002–03 but which did not have funding set aside for them at the start of the year. An example of a project funded in this way was the refurbishment of psychiatric wards.

DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER

Council Tax

Harry Barnes: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness and fairness of the council tax banding system; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Raynsford: The Government acknowledged the criticisms of council tax in the 2001 White Paper, "Strong Local Leadership, Quality Public Services". Consequently we have established the Balance of Funding review which has been giving detailed consideration to key issues affecting the funding of local government. The review will be considering proposals for change in the course of the next few months.

Brownfield Land

Joan Humble: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, if he will make a statement on progress in bringing more brownfield land into use.

John Prescott: Through English Partnerships and the Regional Development Agencies we are reclaiming brownfield land at a rate of over 1400 hectares a year. This has enabled us to achieve our national brownfield target eight years early. By 2000 60 per cent. of new housing development was on brownfield land. By 2002 this proportion had increased to 64 per cent.

Regional Assemblies

John Grogan: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what assessment he has made of the benefits to the Yorkshire and Humber economy of an elected regional assembly.

Yvette Cooper: An elected assembly for Yorkshire and the Humber will enhance regional prosperity, pride and democracy. It will control or influence key elements impacting on the regional economy, including the work of Yorkshire Forward and policies affecting planning, housing, transport and skills. Similarly it will improve people's safety and quality of life through work on the environment, fire prevention, culture and sport and the promotion of public health.

Regional Assemblies

David Curry: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the estimated annual Government grant is to the proposed regional assemblies in (a) the North West, (b) the North East and (c) Yorkshire and the Humber.

Nick Raynsford: Based on figures for 2002–03, and on existing programmes, elected regional assemblies would receive grants of around £780 million in the North West, £350 million in the North East and £570 million in Yorkshire and the Humber. Assemblies would also have influence—through consultation with, and making appointments to specified bodies—over budgets totalling £1,600 million in the North West, £600 million in the North East and £1,100 million in Yorkshire and the Humber.
	In addition, the White Paper "Our Fire and Rescue Service" published in June 2003 said "we envisage that, eventually, where there are elected regional assemblies, fire and rescue authorities will be regional bodies". In 2001–02, the existing local fire and rescue authorities spent around £238 million in the North West, £103 million in the North East and £159 million in Yorkshire and Humberside. These are the latest figures available. Broadly speaking, three quarters of the Fire and Rescue Service's overall budget spending is met by revenue support grant and national non- domestic rates and the balance from council tax.

Regeneration

James Purnell: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will make a statement on his policy on involving English Partnerships in regeneration.

Keith Hill: English Partnerships is the National Regeneration Agency. It leads on the development of Urban Regeneration Companies. It works closely with the Housing Market Renewal Pathfinders to regenerate areas of low demand and abandoned housing. Through the £400 million coalfields programme it is actively regenerating former coalfield areas and their communities. We are also proposing that EP take a leading role in overseeing development in the wider Milton Keynes area through close co-operation with the local council and other key stakeholders.

Standards Board

David Heathcoat-Amory: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will make a statement on the performance of the Standards Board.

Phil Hope: Ensuring high standards in public life—including in local government—remains a firm commitment of the Government. The Standards Board for England continues to command the Government's full support as it develops to meet the challenges set for it by the Local Government Act 2000. Copies of the Boards Annual Report are available in the Library, and on the Board's website.

Building Regulations

Norman Baker: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what plans he has to amend building regulations to improve environmental performance in respect of water consumption.

Phil Hope: In response to statements made by my right hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister and the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs at the Better Buildings Summit, proposals to amend the Building Regulations to include the conservation of water will be taken forward early in the New Year.
	It is anticipated that amended regulations will be laid in the latter part of 2005.

Telecommunications Masts

Nick Gibb: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will make a statement on his Department's code of best practice on the siting of TETRA telecommunications masts in the vicinity of schools and hospitals.

Keith Hill: The Code of Best Practice on Mobile Network Development does not distinguish between different types of mobile communications base stations. The Code lists the factors that should be taken into account by network operators and local planning authorities in determining whether a school or college should be consulted. The Code makes no reference to hospitals.

Mobile Phones

Colin Burgon: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what recent discussions he has had with the Mobile Phone Operators Association about their voluntary code.

Keith Hill: I have not had any recent discussions with the Mobile Operators' Association. My hon. Friend for Pontefract and Castleford will be meeting representatives of the Mobile Operators' Association and the five commercial network operators on the 19 January 2003.

Area Partnerships

Anthony Steen: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many area partnerships have been established in England; what their terms of reference are; and what funding has been awarded to each partnership, broken down by (a) county council, (b) district council, (c) town or parish council, (d) regional development agency, (e) market and coastal towns initiative and (f) other sources of funding.

Yvette Cooper: The key partnership in any area is the Local Strategic Partnership (LSP). A survey in summer 2002, as part of the Government's research into LSPs, showed that the vast majority of areas, at county and district local authority level, either had an LSP in place or were in the process of forming one. There are now approximately 365 LSPs across England.
	LSPs must include representatives from and reflect an appropriate balance between the public sector including local authorities and other public services, and private, voluntary and community sectors. LSPs will operate by consensus, in order to reflect and retain the buy-in of partners.
	The Government guidance, published in March 2001, states that it will be for local partners to decide the full range of work of their LSP. However, it does set out four core tasks.
	Prepare and implement a community strategy for the area
	Bring together local plans, partnerships and initiatives to provide a forum through which mainstream public service providers work effectively together to meet local needs and priorities
	Work with local authorities that are developing a local public service agreement to help devise and then meet suitable targets
	Develop and deliver a local neighbourhood renewal strategy (in the 88 districts receiving Neighbourhood Renewal Fund).
	LSPs are not statutory bodies and as such do not receive funding directly. However the Neighbourhood Renewal Fund (NRF) enables the 88 most deprived authorities, in collaboration with their Local Strategic Partnership (LSP), to improve services, narrowing the gap between deprived areas and the rest of England. £1,875,000 has been allocated for the period 2001 to 2006 and a full breakdown by local authority district is available.
	More generally LSPs will work collaboratively with and through partners to access sources of funding to meet local needs.

Planning and Compulsory Purchase Bill

Roy Beggs: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what plans he has to extend the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Bill to Northern Ireland.

Keith Hill: There are no plans to extend the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Bill to Northern Ireland.

Fire Service College

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will list the commandants and chief executives of the Fire Service College, Moreton-in-Marsh, since 1992, stating whether they were a temporary or permanent appointment; what steps he is taking to secure a permanent appointment as Chief Executive; and whether payments have been made in respect of (a) early retirement and (b) unfair dismissal of senior officers at the college in the last 10 years.

Phil Hope: Details of Fire Service College Chief Executives and Commandants are given in the table. The post of Chief Executive is to be advertised shortly on open competition.
	No payments have been made either in respect of unfair dismissal or early retirement. In one case, a postholder received a payment (details of which are confidential) on leaving office, in accordance with his employment law rights.
	
		Fire Service Chief Executives and Commands from 1992
		
			 Name Position Dates of service Status Notes 
		
		
			 Brian Fuller Chief Executive(and Commandant) Until April 1994 Permanent — 
			 Nigel Finlayson Chief Executive May 1994 to November 1997 Permanent Posts to Chief Executive and Commandant split 
			 Frank David Commandant May 1994 to May 1996 Two-year secondment — 
			 Terry Glossop Commandant June 1996 to November 1997 Fixed-term contract — 
			 Terry Glossop Chief Executive(and Commandant) 1 December 1997 to 19 December 2002 Permanent Posts re-combined 
			 Robin Currie Chief Executive 1 February 2002 to 20 December 2003 Secondment Terry Glossop suspended on 1 February 2002 
			 Anne Frost Chief Executive 20 December 2003 to date Permanent member of College staff Acting Chief Executive, pending open competition

Buildings (Energy Performance)

Sydney Chapman: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister whether he plans to implement the requirements of Directive 2002/91 on the energy performance of buildings under the European Communities Act 1972.

Phil Hope: The Government are still considering how implementation may be best achieved. Present thoughts are that the way forward could be a combination of amendments to the Building Regulations made under the Building Act 1984, and new regulations, made under the European Communities Act 1972, where this is more appropriate.

Public Land

Alan Whitehead: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what criteria his Department applies in respect of sustainability in the rules governing the sale or disposal of public land.

Keith Hill: Each Government Department assesses ways and means of delivering its objectives, and appraises the relevant options in line with the guidance in "The Green Book—Appraisal and Evaluation in Central Government"—including the costs of implementation. If, for example, a Department wishes to secure sustainability objectives, and in order to do so, has to dispose of assets, the disposal should be done in such a way that meets the requirements of Government Accounting chapter 24. This should ensure that overall value for money is achieved and that the disposal is effectively and properly done. Overall value for money goes beyond maximising proceeds by including the impact of effective public service delivery. Disposal of land by local authorities is governed by section 123 of the Local Government Act 1972. Local authorities may dispose of land in any manner they wish: my right hon. Friend The Deputy Prime Minister's only involvement is to grant or withhold consent where authorities wish to dispose of land at less than the best consideration reasonably obtainable and the proposed disposal falls outside the scope of the General Consent in The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister Circular 06/2003. The rules on disposal do not, therefore, directly address issues of sustainability. These would be considered as part of the project appraisal or reasons for disposing of the land.

CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT

Historic Wrecks

Anthony Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what steps she is taking to enlist the help of vocational divers in South Devon in investigating historic wrecks off the South Devon Coast.

Richard Caborn: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has no specific plans for vocational divers in South Devon. The Department has enabled the development and implementation of English Heritage's initial policy for maritime archaeology, Taking to the Water, which clearly states the desirability of engaging with the sport diving and wider communities. Any proposals for initiatives can be made directly to English Heritage where they will be considered according to national priorities and subject to available resources. English Heritage are already encouraging sport diving initiatives in the Solent, the North East and the Isles of Scilly together with providing support for an England-wide training programme and shipwreck projects through the Nautical Archaeology Society.

Historic Wrecks

Anthony Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what considerations resulted in her Department stopping vocational divers investigating (a) the wreck of a suspected Barbary pirate ship off Gara rock in South Devon and (b) the Salcombe Canon site shipwreck.

Richard Caborn: The sites referred to as (a) and (b) are the same site designated under the Statutory Instrument 1997/2536, known as the Salcombe Cannon Site. The reference to the suspected Barbary pirate ship has arisen after research has shown that Barbary pirates were active around the period of the ship wreck in the area of Salcombe. Since designation the Secretary of State has issued licences to survey, surface recover and excavate the site. At the time of writing there are no current licences on this site, as there has been no application made to the Secretary of State. The issuing of licences since 1997 has enabled continued investigation of this site by vocationally based teams backed up by professional archaeological advice. Over the last 18 months this system has been supported by English Heritage. The Government's contractor for archaeological services in support of the 1973 Act has also visited this site and others in South Devon this summer, managed by English Heritage and fully involving the divers licensed to investigate the sites.

Historic Wrecks

Anthony Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the role is of English Heritage regarding applications for licences to investigate shipwrecks off the South Devon coast.

Richard Caborn: English Heritage's role is to carry out administrative functions exercisable by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State under the 1973 Act. English Heritage considers the merits of each case, consults the Advisory Committee on Historic Wreck Sites, the archaeological diving contractor and other interested parties as appropriate, before submitting a report and recommendation to the Secretary of State.

Historic Wrecks

Anthony Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the additional cost to public funds is of involving English Heritage in the process of licensing historic wreck sites; and what the advantages are.

Richard Caborn: The transfer of responsibility for licensing designated wreck sites and acting as secretariat to the Advisory Committee on Historic Wreck Sites to English Heritage has resulted in no additional cost to public funds. The administrative budget hitherto spent by this Department on these activities was transferred to English Heritage in 2003.
	Benefits from the transfer include greater specialist expertise in the decision-making process and the management of protected wreck sites. Underwater archaeology projects are also now able to compete on equal terms with land archaeological projects for English Heritage grants.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

IT Contracts

Jonathan Sayeed: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will list information technology contracts in his Department with a value of above £20 million in each of the last 10 years; what the inception date for each system was; when it became fully functional; when it became fully debugged; and what the cost of over-runs has been.

Hilary Benn: The Department for International Development has had no information technology contracts above £20 million in the last 10 years. Our new systems and IT infrastructure upgrades have generally been modest in scope and incremental in nature. This has helped to reduce the potential risks and allowed us to stay generally on schedule and within budget.

South Africa

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment the Government have made of the impact of reducing aid to South Africa.

Hilary Benn: South Africa is not dependent on financial transfers from international donors—aid from all donors represents less than 1 per cent. of the country's annual budget. Donors' contribution to development in South Africa is in the form of technical assistance to build capacity to develop and implement pro-poor policies. DFID has contributed more than £200 million in technical assistance to South Africa in the 10 years since the democratic transition there. Figures for annual spending since 1998–99 and plans up to 2005–06 are shown as follows. As shown, and in line with our overall strategy on assistance to middle income countries, we are planning a reduction in planned expenditure for the year beginning April 2005. We are discussing with the South African government how to manage this. We will continue to maintain a substantial programme there in recognition of the poverty problems inherited from the apartheid period, the growing spread of HIV/AIDS, and the critical importance of successful transition in South Africa for the prospects of sub-Saharan Africa as a whole.
	
		DFID-SA bilateral spending on Southern Africa MICs -- £ millions
		
			  South Africa Botswana Namibia Swaziland Total 
		
		
			  
			  
			 1998–99 28.9 3.3 3.9 3.1 39.1 
			 1999–2000 29.6 3.0 3.6 3.1 39.3 
			 2000–01 30.1 2.5 2.7 1.6 37.0 
			 2001–02 25.5 2.0 2.0 1.1 30.6 
			 2002–03 36.4 1.1 2.2 0.8 40.5 
		
	
	Source:
	DFID (2003) Statistics on International Development 1998–99 to 2002–03. Table 7.1.
	
		Future framework allocation for Southern African MICs
		
			  £ million 
		
		
			 2003–04 35 
			 2004–05 35 
			 2005–06 25

NORTHERN IRELAND

Hospital Trolley Waits

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many hospital trolley waits there were in Northern Ireland in (a) 2000, (b) 2001, (c) 2002 and (d) 2003; and how many there were in December of each year.

Angela Smith: Trolley wait information is returned to the Department in two different forms, on a quarterly basis and on a daily basis.
	The total number of hospital trolley waits is reported to the Department by Trusts on a quarterly basis.
	
		Number of hospital trolley waits recorded in Northern Ireland—1999–2000 to 2002–03
		
			 Financial Year Trolley Waits 
		
		
			  
			  
			 1999–2000 63,325 
			 2000–01 75,879 
			 2001–02 77,418 
			 2002–03 96,382 
		
	
	Note:
	In a small number of cases Trusts have returned data for a representative sample of trolley waits.
	Source:
	Departmental Information Return CH10
	The Department also receives daily returns (Monday to Friday) on the number of trolley waits based on a snapshot taken at 9.00 a.m. in each accident and emergency department across Northern Ireland.
	
		Number of hospital trolley waits recorded in Northern Ireland each December 2000 -03
		
			 December Trolley waits 
		
		
			 2000 Not available 
			 2001 797 
			 2002 915 
			 2003 1,450 
		
	
	Note:
	This information shows a snapshot of the number of trolley waits at 9.00 a.m. each week day morning.
	Source:
	Daily Service Pressures Report

Ports

Roy Beggs: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many tourists (a) in vehicles and (b) as foot passengers passed through (i) Larne and (ii) Belfast ports in each of the last five years.

Ian Pearson: The information requested on the number of tourists passing through the Ports of Larne and Belfast is not available in the form requested in the question.
	However, the Northern Ireland Tourist Board's Passenger Survey provides some information on the number of tourists passing through the Ports of Larne and Belfast. The survey identifies visitors (non-Northern Ireland/Republic of Ireland residents) who stay at least one night in Northern Ireland and exit via the Ports of Larne or Belfast. The survey does not break down the figures by foot and vehicle passengers. The results of the survey are provided in the following table:
	
		Visitors staying at least one night in Northern Ireland and exiting via the ports of Larne or Belfast 1998–2002
		
			  Larne Belfast 
		
		
			 2002 124,000 288,000 
			 2001 101,000 357,000 
			 2000 100,000 375,000 
			 1999 121,000 375,000 
			 1998 118,000 296,000

CONSTITUTIONAL AFFAIRS

Asylum

John Burnett: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what discussions he has had with the judiciary about the power of Parliament to oust the jurisdiction of the courts in exercising a supervisory or other jurisdiction in relation to the Asylum and Immigration Tribunal.

David Lammy: As part of the policy development process we have spoken to representatives of the senior judiciary and they are aware of the changes we plan to make to the system. As with much policy development, this consultation was undertaken in confidence and so I am not in a position to make the discussions or the outcomes public.

Asylum

Russell Brown: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs what the (a) overall cost per annum and (b) average cost per case was for legal aid for asylum cases in each of the last five years.

David Lammy: The Legal Services Commission is not able to provide the information in the format requested, as it does not differentiate asylum from wider immigration cases.
	The overall costs for immigration and asylum advice, assistance and representation over the last five years in England and Wales are as follows:
	
		
			 Year £ million  
		
		
			 1998–99 53.3 
			 1999–2000 61.4 
			 2000–01 81.1 
			 2001–02 129.4 
			 2002–03 176.2 
		
	
	The Commission's systems do not record expenditure in such a way as to enable a figure to be provided for the year-on-year, average costs per asylum case.

Civil Servants

Tim Loughton: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs how many senior civil servants in his Department are disabled, expressed in (a) numbers and (b) as a percentage of whole-time equivalents.

David Lammy: Statistical information about senior civil servants with disabilities is available on the Civil Service Statistics web-site at http://www.civil-service.gov.uk/statistics/documents/pdf/disability-oct03.pdf
	As there are fewer than 5 members of the senior civil service in my department with a disability, the actual number is not published in order to protect the privacy of the individual in line with exemption 12 of the 'Code of Practice on Access to Government Information'.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Departmental Advertising

Julie Kirkbride: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much has been spent on recruitment advertisements in the press, broken down by publication, by (a) his Department, (b) quangos under the Department and (c) non-departmental Government bodies under the Department (i) in the last year and (ii) since 1997.

Bill Rammell: The information is as follows:
	Financial year to end March 2003
	
		FCO London
		
			 Paper Cost (£) 
		
		
			  A1—Administrative Assistants—June 2002, September 2002,October 2002, March 2003 
			 South London Press 19,348.80 
			 Metro and Evening Standard 91,544.00 
			 www.thisislondon.co.uk 144.00 
			 Total 111,036.80 
			   
			 A2—Executive Assistants—July 2002, October 2002, February 2003 
			 Evening Standard and Metro 15,722.40 
			 Daily Mail 35,713.44 
			 Ethnic Media Group 8,510.00 
			 The Voice 4,261.68 
			 Glasgow Herald 10,858.40 
			 Scotsman (inc. Evening News) 12,690.00 
			 Belfast Telegraph (inc. Sunday Life) 7,354.71 
			 Cardiff Western Mail 14,064.60 
			 Metro Manchester 2,352.16 
			 Glasgow Evening Times 2,856.80 
			 Edinburgh Evening News 3,816.80 
			 Metro Scotland 913.20 
			 Metro Birmingham 2,536.64 
			 Total 121,650.83 
			   
			  B3—Operational Entry—September 2002, January 2003 
			 Belfast Telegraph 4,832.97 
			 Cardiff Western Mail 9,615.50 
			 Ethnic Media Group 5,513.68 
			 Evening Standard and Metro 10,872.00 
			 Glasgow Herald 10,985.60 
			 Guardian 9,355.84 
			 The Scotsman 11,160.80 
			 The Voice 2,837.12 
			 Total 65,173.51 
			   
			 Overseas Security Managers—January 2003 
			 Police Review 3,816.24 
			 Pathfinder 3,550.12 
			 Total 7,366.36 
			   
			 C4—DS General—September 2002 
			 Guardian 3,920.40 
			 The Voice 1,317.40 
			 Asian Times 1,645.00 
			 Belfast Telegraph 2,055.16 
			 Glasgow Herald 4,342.00 
			 Scotsman 5,281.00 
			 Cardiff Western Mail 3,347.90 
			 Total 21,908.86 
			   
			 C4—DS Economists—September 2002, January 2003 
			 Guardian 6,480.00 
			 Totaljobs.com 275.00 
			 The Voice 1,317.40 
			 Asian Times 1,645.00 
			 Belfast Telegraph 4,680.32 
			 Glasgow Herald 9,554.00 
			 Scotsman 10,706.00 
			 Economist 17,575.00 
			 Cardiff Western Mail 6,469.40 
			 Sunday Times Website 340.00 
			 Ethnic Media Group 2,908.00 
			 Total 61,950.12 
			   
			 Specialist Recruitment  
			 Accountancy Age 3,000.00 
			 Asian Times Group 1,506.00 
			 Bedfordshire Times 950.00 
			 Ethnic Media Group 19,764.00 
			 Evening Standard 1,296.00 
			 Financial Times 5,250.00 
			 Guardian 33,612.00 
			 Luton and Dunstable Herald 1,577.00 
			 Milton Keynes Chronicle 834.50 
			 Milton Keynes Citizen 3,362.70 
			 New Scientist 10,495.00 
			 Northampton Chronicle 2,067.00 
			 Northampton Herald and Sport 1,223.00 
			 Northants Curon and Echo 1,587.00 
			 Sunday Times 7,840.00 
			 The Times 1,519.00 
			 THES 3,165.00 
			 www.jobs.ac.uk 470.00 
			 Total 99,518.20 
			   
			 Diversity Advertising  
			 Hobsons Career Guide for Women 2003  
			 Hobsons Career Guide for Students with  
			 Disabilities 2003  
			 Hobsons Career Guide for Ethnic Minorities 2003 82,500.00 
			 Hobsons Diversity Handbook  
			 www.hobsons.com microsite  
			 Newsletters for Ethnic Minority students  
			 KAL—Careers Advice for Ethnic Minority  
			 Graduates  
			 Number Ten—Careers Advice for Women  
			 Graduates  
			 Arberry Profile—Careers Advice for Disabled 81,114.00 
			 Graduates  
			 Recruitment Brochures  
			 Spectrum—Careers Advice for Ethnic Minority  
			 16–19 Year Olds  
			 Headstart 3,850.00 
			 Doctor Job's Little Black Book 4,450.00 
			 www.doctorjob.com employer profile  
			 National Guide to Black History Month 3,100.00 
			 Futures/Network News 5,600.00 
			 Employment Opportunities website and newsletter 2,000.00 
			 Black and Asian Graduate website 495.00 
			 Total 183,109.00 
		
	
	
		FCO Hanslope Park
		
			 Paper Cost (£) 
		
		
			 C4 Contract Managers—April 2002  
			 Personnel Publications 4,465.00 
			 Total 4,465.00 
			   
			 C4 Electrical Technician Officer—April 2002 
			 McMillan Scott 705.00 
			 Premier Newspapers 4,450.76 
			 Institution of Electrical Engineers 4,624.80 
			 Total 9,780.56 
			   
			 D7 Head of Technical Security—May 2002 
			 Premier Newspapers 4,450.76 
			 Express Newspapers 9,987.50 
			 Total 14,438.26 
			   
			 C4 Investigating Officer—September 2002 
			 Daily Mail 4,758.75 
			 Jane's Information Group 3,877.50 
			 Total 8,636.25 
			   
			 A1 Mail Room Assistants—November 2002 
			 Evening Standard 1,057.50 
			 Total 1,057.50 
			   
			 B3 Assistant Government Butler—March 2003 
			 Restaurant Magazine 1,938.75 
			 Evening Standard 2,350.00 
			 Caterer and Hotel Keeper 1,854.16 
			 Total 6,142.91 
			  Total cost of advertising April 2002 to March 2003: £716,234.16 
		
	
	Note:
	We advertise widely for jobs in the Diplomatic Service and specialist positions, as well as general careers advertisements placed in diversity publications and websites. The placement of adverts is reviewed regularly according to the nature of the position, cost and response from previous advertisements. The above breakdown for the years 1997–2002 could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Expenditure

Michael Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the total expenditure on (a) information campaigns and (b) advertising was for his Department for each year since 1997.

Jack Straw: holding answer 6 January 2004
	The Foreign and Commonwealth Office's planned expenditure on information campaigns in financial year 2003–04 is £6,485,000.00, which includes:
	£1.9 million on a "Think UK" campaign in China, plus £360,000 for the development of campaigns in Central Europe (partnerships with accession states) and North America (UK Science and Technology) to run in 2004;
	A £2.4 million public diplomacy challenge fund which will support 81 projects in 51 different countries;
	£825,000 on a major FCO web infrastructure project, which includes www.i-uk.com; a central portal site to promote the UK overseas jointly with our public diplomacy partners (British Council, UK Trade and Investment and VisitBritain);
	£600,000 on generic public diplomacy publications.
	£200,000 for public diplomacy activity promoting the UK's science and technology achievements overseas.
	£200,000 to raise public awareness within the UK of the benefits and opportunities of EU enlargement.
	In addition, the FCO provides grant-in-aid of:
	£166.04 million to the British Council
	£220 million to the BBC World Service
	In the year 2002–03 the Foreign and Commonwealth Office's separately identifiable expenditure on advertising totalled £602,670. The bulk of this comprised of media spend for consular publicity campaigns, which are aimed at encouraging UK travellers to be better prepared before going overseas, and advertising for recruitment purposes.
	In the year 2003–04 planned separately identifiable expenditure on advertising totals £317,000.
	I refer the right hon. Gentleman to the answer my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Bill Rammell) gave to the hon. Member for Bromsgrove (Julie Kirkbride) today (UIN145801) for details of expenditure on recruitment advertisement between April 2002 and March 2003.
	To provide a breakdown of expenditure each year since 1997 could be provided only at disproportionate costs.

Israel

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how the UK voted on UN General Assembly Resolution 144–4 which demanded that Israel stop and reverse construction of the separation wall.

Bill Rammell: The UK, in common with EU Partners, voted in favour of a UN General Assembly Resolution on 21 October 2003 demanding that Israel stop and reverse the construction of the wall.

DEFENCE

Body Armour

Gerald Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the whereabouts of the sets of body armour bought since 1999.

Adam Ingram: I will write to the hon. Member and a copy of my letter will be placed in the Library of the House.

HMS Bridport

Gerald Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether HMS Bridport will be made available for use by sea cadets.

Adam Ingram: There are no plans to make HMS Bridport available for use by sea cadets.

Iraq

Andrew Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has to upgrade the living accommodation of service personnel in Iraq.

Adam Ingram: A programme of improvements is underway. Hard-walled accommodation for 3,000 personnel who had previously been in tented accommodation has been moved to Iraq. We have also supplied and are in the process of installing air conditioning for all the accommodation used by UK forces personnel.

Iraq

Adam Price: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much has been paid to Iraqi families by the Government following incidents involving fatalities allegedly involving British forces since 1 May 2003.

Adam Ingram: United Kingdom authorities have paid £8,125 to Iraqi families following alleged fatalities involving British forces since the 1 May 2003.

Medical Supplies Agency

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  what plans he has to change the system of budget and stock controls undertaken by (a) the Medical Supplies Agency and (b) military units whom they serve in the ordering, delivery, storage and use of materials, equipment, drugs and other medical items; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what budget and stock controls are undertaken by (a) the Medical Supplies Agency and (b) military units whom they serve in the ordering, delivery, storage and use of materials, equipment, drugs and other medical items; and if he will make a statement.

Ivor Caplin: The Medical Supplies Agency (MSA) budget and stock controls are governed by HM Treasury direction on accounts prepared to comply with Government Resources and Accounts Act 2000, MOD Financial Management Policy contained in JSP 462 and MOD Resource Accounting Policy contained in JSP 472. There are currently no plans to change these procedures.
	MSA produce Agency Annual Accounts audited by the National Audit Office, the most recent Accounts for financial year 2002–03 were laid before Parliament on 16 July 2003 under reference number HC 805.
	MSA is not responsible for the internal budget and stock controls in respect of the military units whom they serve.

Medical Supplies Agency

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what his proposals are for the future of (a) medical distribution centres and (b) the Medical Supplies Agency.

Ivor Caplin: No decisions or any proposals for the future of (a) medical distribution centres or (b) the Medical Supplies Agency have been taken.
	A review is being undertaken and is expected to conclude in the near future. A further announcement will be made to the House when appropriate.

Reservists

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what briefings are given to reservists on the Reserve Forces (Safeguard of Employment) Act 1985.

Ivor Caplin: When called-out, reservists are provided with a copy of Joint Service Publication (JSP) 532 Guidance for reservists returning to civilian employment following a period of mobilised service. This publication explains the re- employment rights of reservists and, if necessary, how to go about formally seeking reinstatement under the Reserve Forces (Safeguard of Employment) Act 1985.

SA80 Rifles

Ian Liddell-Grainger: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many modifications have been carried out to the SA80 rifle in the last five years.

Adam Ingram: In the last five years the SA80 has been subject to a major modification programme to improve its reliability by either replacing or reengineering components. Work began in 2001 and is scheduled to be completed by May 2006. Approximately 93,000 modified weapons have been issued to date. The basic design and concept of the modified SA80—the SA80 A2—remains the same, but there are significant engineering improvements to the internal gas systems, firing pin, bolt, hammer and barrel. The cocking lever has been redesigned to deflect spent cases and reduce the chance of stoppages, and the new magazine is more reliable and robust. Work has also been undertaken on the safety catch/plunger, and following successful trials of a revised safety plunger during Op TELIC, a contract will be let shortly to procure a sufficient quantity to modify all weapons.
	The modification programme also includes enhanced ancillaries. An Operational Cleaning Kit has been developed which enables the user to undertake an operational clean without dismantling the weapon. This is being issued to all troops deployed on Op TELIC in the infantry role.

Ships (Pay-off Dates)

Gerald Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the pay-off dates are for (a) HMS Sovereign, (b) HMS Superb, (c) HMS Spartan, (d) HMS Sceptre, (e) HMS Invincible, (f) HMS Newcastle, (g) HMS Cardiff, (h) HMS Glasgow, (i) HMS Liverpool, (j) HMS Exeter, (k) HMS Southampton, (l) HMS Nottingham, (m) HMS Manchester, (n) HMS Gloucester, (o) HMS Edinburgh and (p) HMS York.

Adam Ingram: The present planned decommissioning dates for each of the Royal Navy vessels listed are given in the following table.
	
		
			 HMS Year 
		
		
			 Swiftsure Class submarine: 
			 Sovereign 2006 
			 Superb 2008 
			 Spartan 2006 
			 Sceptre 2010 
			   
			 Invincible Class aircraft carrier: 
			 Invincible 2010 
			   
			 Type 42 Destroyer: 
			 Newcastle 2007 
			 Cardiff 2008 
			 Glasgow 2009 
			 Liverpool 2009 
			 Exeter 2010 
			 Southampton 2011 
			 Nottingham 2012 
			 Manchester 2012 
			 Gloucester 2013 
			 Edinburgh 2014 
			 York 2013

Type-45 Destroyer

Gerald Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what major design modifications have been made to the hull of the Type 45 destroyer in the past two years.

Adam Ingram: None.

HOME DEPARTMENT

Corporate Killing

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether it is his policy that the forthcoming Bill on corporate killing should encompass pharmacovigilance.

Paul Goggins: The Government is committed to reforming the law on involuntary manslaughter to make it more effective in convicting companies and other organisations of manslaughter where a death has occurred due to systemic management failure. We will publish our proposals in more detail in due course.

Elder Abuse

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether the Government uses a formal definition of elder abuse.

Stephen Ladyman: I have been asked to reply.
	Statutory guidance, "No secrets", issued by the Home Office and the Department of Health in 2000 defines abuse of vulnerable adults as a violation of an individual's human and civil rights by any other person or persons. It goes on to say that abuse may consist of a single act or repeated acts and can manifest itself as physical abuse, sexual abuse, psychological abuse, financial or material abuse, neglect and acts of omission, and discriminatory abuse.

Anti-social Behaviour Act

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the powers contained in the Anti-social Behaviour Act 2003 will be available to the police.

Hazel Blears: All of the measures in the Anti-social Behaviour Act 2003 will need to be commenced by Order.
	The first set of measures will be commenced under The Anti-social Behaviour Act 2003 (Commencement No. 1 and Transitional Provisions) Order 2003 (Statutory Instrument 2003 Number 3300 (C.130)) made on 17 December 2003. This brings into force a number of the provisions of the Anti-social Behaviour Act 2003 on 20 January 2004 and 27 February 2004.
	Orders commencing the remaining measures in the Act will come into effect before the end of 2004. We will be publishing a detailed timetable giving the dates for the commencement of the remaining sections of the Anti-social Behaviour Act 2003 shortly.

Asylum Seekers

Andrew Love: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  what (a) services and (b) support the Government is providing to young female asylum seekers who are pregnant through (i) rape and (ii) sexual assault to (A) prevent their isolation and (B) aid their participation in community life;
	(2)  what (a) services and (b) assistance the Government is providing for young female asylum seekers arriving in the United Kingdom who are pregnant as a result of (i) rape and (ii) sexual assault in their country of origin.

Beverley Hughes: Anyone who has lodged a formal application for asylum in the United Kingdom is entitled to access health services. Health assessments are offered in induction centres to allow early identification of health care needs and in the event that an asylum seeker is dispersed, they will take with them a patient handheld record which health professionals can access. Asylum seekers housed in emergency accommodation pending dispersal also have access to health services. If an individual case is referred to and accepted by the Medical Foundation then they will normally be able to remain in London to access the specialist care that only the Foundation can provide.
	On arrival in a dispersal area, advice is provided to help applicants access local services, including medical facilities. In the case of a pregnant woman she will be given appropriate ante-natal care by the local Primary Care Trust. She will also be entitled to access those services which are generally available to women who have been raped. NASS's policy of dispersal according to language seeks to ensure that individuals are not isolated without any support from their community. We also encourage the active participation of asylum seekers in community life through, for example, our Purposeful Activities Scheme and through volunteer and mentoring schemes.
	People who arrive in the United Kingdom alone and are under 18 will be treated as unaccompanied asylum seeking children and will be cared for by local social services departments. There they will be entitled to the same care for pregnancy and trauma as any other child in that situation.
	In the event that an asylum seeker is raped or sexually assaulted in the United Kingdom then she is entitled to the same protection under the law as anyone else. She would also be offered access to available victim support and counselling services to deal with the consequences of an assault, such as trauma and pregnancy.

Domestic Violence

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the policies in place to tackle domestic violence.

David Blunkett: This Government are determined to tackle domestic violence. As part of our overall strategy we have introduced the Domestic Violence, Crime and Victims Bill which will ensure an effective police response when victims report domestic violence, and make sure that the civil and criminal law offer the maximum protection to all victims to stop the violence recurring.
	The main measures relating to domestic violence in the Bill are: making breach of a non-molestation order a criminal offence; making common assault an arrestable offence; enabling courts to impose restraining orders when sentencing for any offence, and on acquittal for any offence if the courts consider it necessary to protect the victim; extending access to non-molestation and occupation orders to same-sex couples and couples who have never cohabited or been married; and issuing guidance to agencies on holding multi-agency reviews following domestic violence homicides.
	We recognise that legislation alone cannot deliver improvements to services that victims need. The Inter-Ministerial Group on Domestic Violence will, over the next two years and beyond, oversee a programme of work which focuses on prevention, protection and justice, and support. Among other things, we will be looking at education and tackling risk factors, improving the police and CPS handling of domestic violence cases, delivering new refuge places and providing help and advice to those victims who wish to stay in their own homes. Further details can be found in the Summary of Responses to "Safety and Justice: the Government's Proposals on Domestic Violence", copies of which can be found in the House of Commons Library.

Elderly Prisoners

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  what plans he has to develop a national strategy to deal with elderly prisoners;
	(2)  if he will make a statement on prison resources directed at the rehabilitation of prisoners aged 65 years and above.

Paul Goggins: At the present time there are no plans for the Prison Service to put in place a separate national strategy for older prisoners. The current policy is to assess all prisoners' individual needs through sentence planning. This includes taking account of any requirements related to a prisoner's age.
	There are no specific resources allocated to the rehabilitation of older prisoners. However through a system of sentence planning, the Prison Service ensures that all prisoners undertake activities necessary to reduce their risk to the public on release and provides any necessary resettlement support.

Gloucester Prison

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the reasons for admitting young offenders to HMP Gloucester following the announcement of closure of Ashfield Young Offender Institution.

Paul Goggins: The allocation of Young Adult Offenders (YAOs) aged 18–20, into Gloucester prison forms part of the ongoing programme to adjust the population mix of adult and young prisoners at a number of establishments. This is in response to the requirements of the Youth Justice Board for juvenile places and to increasing demand for spaces for adult male prisoners. This will be achieved through careful monitoring of population changes and the allocation of prisoners to establishments appropriate to their needs. It will also ensure maximum use of all available spaces in the prison estate, while minimising the distance of remand prisoners from the courts. This will enable the Prison Service to maintain its service to the courts despite the population pressures.
	Ashfield prison is not being closed, but will instead only hold young prisoners, aged 15–17. Gloucester and other prisons in the area will hold remand and sentenced YAOs. Sentenced YAOs returning from court will be held at Gloucester for the minimum time possible before being transferred on to other establishments with YAO regimes.

Gloucester Prison

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the reasons are for the delay by the Director General of the Prison Service in replying to correspondence from the Independent Monitoring Board Chairman following the decision to re-admit young offenders to Gloucester prison.

Paul Goggins: The Director General of the Prison Service replied to the Chairman of the Independent Monitoring Board for Gloucester prison on 2 December 2003.

Juvenile Offenders (Education)

Rudi Vis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many children in prison were awarded GCSEs in 2003.

Paul Goggins: In 2003 young people in juvenile establishments achieved 189 GCSEs.
	Because the majority of learners in juvenile establishments have very low levels of basic skills, a national curriculum model is not necessarily appropriate for them.

Prisons

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many seizures of alcohol were made in prisons in the last two years, broken down by month; and what estimate his Department has made of the quantity of alcohol produced illicitly within prisons in that period.

Paul Goggins: This information is not recorded centrally and its collection could be achieved only at disproportionate cost.
	The Prison Service is currently developing an Alcohol Strategy, which is expected to be finalised by March 2004. This will include a system for appropriate data to be collected centrally in order to assist the effective monitoring of performance and security.

Prisons

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proportion of (a) men and (b) women received into prisons in the last 12 months have been sentenced to immediate custody following breach of a community order.

Paul Goggins: According to sentencing data, 7,825 males were sentenced to immediate custody in England and Wales in 2002 following a breach of a community sentence which represents 9 per cent. of prison receptions under sentence during 2002. For females the corresponding figures are 904 and 12 per cent.
	Information on the numbers received into prison because they have breached a community sentence is not comprehensively recorded in the prisons data, as prisoners may be recorded under the nature of their original offence.

Prisons

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many added days were awarded as punishment for (a) drug offences and (b) other disciplinary offences in prisons in England and Wales in each year since 1997; and at what cost.

Paul Goggins: Information on the use of added days awarded as punishment for drugs offences and other disciplinary offences in 1997 to 2002 is published in table 8.5 in Prison Statistics England and Wales, 1997 to 2002.
	Copies of Prison Statistics England and Wales are available in the Library.
	Costs of adjudications are not held centrally.

Sentencing Guidelines Council

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the membership, role and functions of the proposed Sentencing Guidelines Council; and what plans he has to ensure that there are representatives on the Council from all Government regions.

Paul Goggins: The composition and functions of the Sentencing Guidelines Council are defined by the Criminal Justice Act 2003. The Council will be responsible for setting guidelines for the full range of criminal offences and on general sentencing matters. These guidelines will apply to all courts.
	The range of offending behaviour covered by an offence is usually very wide. The guidelines will help to ensure that there is a clear starting point for sentence and agreed aggravating and mitigating factors. The purpose of creating the Council is to achieve greater consistency of sentencing throughout England and Wales.
	The Council will consist of the Lord Chief Justice, seven judicial members appointed by the Lord Chancellor and four non-judicial members appointed by the Home Secretary. Non-judicial members are eligible for appointment if they have experience in one or more of the following areas:
	Policing
	Criminal prosecution
	Criminal defence
	The promotion of the Welfare victims
	The criteria for membership are defined in the Act; these do not include any reference to Government Regions.

Sexual Assaults

Jim Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many sexual assault referral centre pilots there are; what assessment has been made of them; if he will make a statement on the new round of bids for support for such centres; and whether existing pilot sites can apply for expansion.

Paul Goggins: The Government are aware of seven existing sexual assault referral centres (SARCs). These are not pilot schemes; but are local initiatives that have been established jointly by the police and local health organisations.
	The Home Office has funded research to establish the effectiveness of SARCs by evaluating three existing centres. Research findings will be available in spring of next year.
	The Home Office recently made funds available from the crime reduction programme to support the development of sexual assault referral centres. In September, police forces were invited to bid for this funding.
	Funding was prioritised for the establishment of new SARCs, however forces with existing SARCs were also eligible to apply.
	Bids were received from 18 police forces. Successful police forces have been notified.
	Allocations will be announced in the near future.

Sudbury Prison

Patrick McLoughlin: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  how many prisoners at HM Prison Sudbury have absconded during (a) 2003 and (b) 2002.
	(2)  how many prisoners who absconded from HM Prison Sudbury during (a) 2003 and (b) 2002 have not been recaptured;
	(3)  how long it took to recapture each prisoner who absconded from HM Prison Sudbury during (a) 2003 and (b) 2002;
	(4)  how many of the prisoners at HM Prison Sudbury who absconded during (a) 2003 and (b) 2002 were convicted of (i) murder, (ii) grievous bodily harm and (iii) sexual offences;
	(5)  how many of those who absconded from HM Prison Sudbury during (a) 2003 and (b) 2002 committed further offences for which they have been charged during the period of time they were away from the prison; and with what offences they were charged.

Paul Goggins: The figures given relate to financial years. In 2002–03 the number of prisoners who absconded from HMP Sudbury was 67. Of these seven have not yet been recaptured. As at 1 December 2003, 56 prisoners had absconded from Sudbury during 2003–04. Of these, 14 have not yet been recaptured. All prisoners who are recaptured after absconding from open prisons like Sudbury are immediately returned to closed establishments.
	The following two tables set out the length of time taken to recapture these prisoners, and the number of abscondees serving sentences for murder, grievous bodily harm and sex offences.
	
		
			 Unlawfully at large April 2002–03 April 2003 to date 
		
		
			 1 day 7 11 
			 2–5 days 12 10 
			 6–10 days 3 3 
			 11–20 days 6 5 
			 21–30 days 7 3 
			 31–50 days 11 6 
			 51–100 days 10 2 
			 101–200 days 4 1 
			 201–300 days 0 1 
			 Over 300 days 0 0 
			 Still unlawfully at large 7 14 
			 Total 67 56 
		
	
	
		
			 Offence 2002–03 2003–04 to date 
		
		
			 Murder 2 5 
			 GBH 3 6 
			 Sex offences 0 0 
		
	
	Information on offences committed by prisoners during their period at large is not held in the form requested. As prisoners recaptured after absconding from Sudbury would immediately be sent to a closed establishment, Sudbury would not be informed of the subsequent convictions of those who had previously absconded.

Restraining Orders

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many restraining orders have been issued by the courts in each of the last five years.

Paul Goggins: Restraining orders for sexual offenders came into force on 1 June 2001 under the Sex Offenders Act 1997 as amended by the Criminal Justice and Court Services Act 2000. 17 restraining orders were issued by the courts between 1 June 2001 and 31 December 2002. Figures for 2003 will not be available until next year.

Suicide

Rudi Vis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  how many people have been prevented from committing suicide in 2003;
	(2)  how many people are in a persistent vegetative state as a result of attempting to hang themselves in prisons.

Paul Goggins: The Prison Service is aware of one case of a prisoner in a persistent vegetative state as a result of attempting to hang themselves in prison. Prison Health (now a part of the Department of Health) do not collate this information centrally.
	In 2003 (to 31 October), 176 prisoners in England and Wales have been resuscitated following acts of self-harm, which reflect a considerable amount of staff effort and expertise. Many more prisoners are supported through periods of crisis with the help of numerous agencies and support mechanisms available to them in custody. All prisons offer access to the Samaritans, and most prisons operate peer support schemes, most commonly the Samaritans Listener Scheme. Further avenues of support include counselling and help with a range of issues including: substance misuse, healthcare, mental health problems and contact with home.

Young Offenders

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) assaults on officers and (b) other assaults took place at Her Majesty's Young Offenders Institution Wetherby was in (i) 1999–2000 and (ii) 2000–01.

Paul Goggins: The numbers of assaults on staff, on trainees and on others at Wetherby for each of the two years are shown in the table below. The figures held for assaults on staff do not distinguish how many of the assaults were on Prison Officers specifically.
	The figures for serious assaults, i.e. those resulting in the victim receiving medical treatment, are shown in brackets.
	
		Figures for serious assaults
		
			  Number of assaults on staff Number of assaults on trainees Number of assaults on others 
		
		
			 April 1999 to March 2000 24 (0) 119 (4) 2 (0) 
			 April 2000 to March 2001 45 (2) 84 (2) 6 (0)

Young Offenders

Rudi Vis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps are being taken to ensure six hours of purposeful activity and a minimum of 10 hours out of cell per day for child prisoners held in segregation.

Paul Goggins: Children held in segregation units in young offender institutions must be given access to education, training, work and physical education. They will be given as much access to those and other out-of-cell activities as is practicable, taking into account the reasons for the segregation and the risks in each case as well as the facilities and resources available locally.